Over 200 million women in India were married as children: UN report

A recent United Nations report has revealed that over 200 million women in India were married during their childhood. The global estimate stands at 640 million girls and women who were married before turning 18, with one-third of these cases occurring in India alone.
As per the the Sustainable Development Goals report 2024, one in five girls is married before age 18, compared to one in four 25 years ago.This improvement has prevented approximately 68 million child marriages over the past quarter-century.
Despite these advancements, the UN warns that the world continues to fall short on gender equality. Issues such as violence against women and the lack of autonomy for many women regarding their sexual and reproductive health persist. At the current pace, achieving parity in management positions between men and women will take 176 years.

The report also highlights that only 17% of the 169 targets set by the UN to improve global living conditions are on track to be met by the 2030 deadline. These targets, adopted by world leaders in 2015, aim to address a wide range of issues, from ending poverty to achieving gender equality. However, nearly half of these targets show minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third are stalled or regressing.
"The takeaway is simple," Guterres said. "Our failure to secure peace, to confront climate change, and to boost international finance is undermining development."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged some "glimmers of hope" in the report but emphasized the need for urgent and accelerated efforts to meet the 2030 Agenda. The assessment indicates that only 17% of the targets show sufficient progress, while 48% exhibit moderate to severe deviations from the desired trajectory.
"It shows the world is getting a failing grade," said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres while launching the annual report.