Child marriage is a practice where one or both parties to the marriage are below the age of 18. It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse and denies girls’ autonomy. Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are inferior to boys and men. It is made worse by poverty, lack of education, and other factors. Child marriage is currently legal in 41 states in the US, and 20 states do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver. Nearly 300,000 children were married in the US between 2000 and 2018, with the majority of them being girls wed to adult men. Child marriage can easily be forced marriage, and children who have not yet reached the age of majority have limited legal rights and therefore can easily be forced into marriage or forced to stay in a marriage. Child marriage destroys nearly every aspect of children’s lives, including their health, education, and economic opportunities. It even undermines their physical safety. Child marriage is a global problem that happens across countries, cultures, religions, and ethnicities. It is a violation of human rights and must be ended.