Report links social media to rising cases of child marriage

Santo Domingo.- Social media is unintentionally contributing to child marriage by facilitating contact between minors and older men, weakening parental control and leading families to pressure girls into marriage to “preserve their honor.” This finding comes from a new report by Plan International, presented in Spain’s Congress of Deputies ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11).

The study, titled “Let Me Be a Girl, Not a Wife,” gathers testimonies from over 250 girls across 15 countries—including the Dominican Republic—revealing that 12 million girls are forced into marriage each year. While global rates of early marriage have dropped from 22% to 19% in the past decade, six in ten girls surveyed said they neither study nor work after marrying, and more than a third had to leave school.

The report underscores that poverty remains the main cause, but digital platforms have become a new factor by enabling men to exploit vulnerable girls. Although child marriage is illegal in 14 of the 15 countries studied, informal unions remain common and socially accepted. Plan International urged governments to invest in education and programs that challenge harmful norms and protect girls’ rights, reaffirming that every girl deserves the chance to grow, learn, and thrive free from forced marriage.