Child Marriage

I came across this video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c_zppPutQw&list=HL1360697319. Have you ever wondered why the cycle of poverty seems to continue in parts of the world? A reason for that is child marriage it exists in certain parts of the world. Let me explain this furthermore a girl around the age of 10 getting married to a man sometimes the same age or middle aged men. This almost always leads to the girl’s removal of school. This leads to a lack of education and that leads to poverty. It horrifies me to know that while I am here getting an education there are girls my age having children. The scary thing about this is that most times they don’t tell the girl she is getting married. Or the girl is told a few days before her wedding. Either way the girl has no choice what so ever. If the girl does disagree she receives death threats. One story however struck to me more than the others. It starts with two sisters getting married age 12 and 13. The day of the wedding you find out in the video they’re younger cousin age 5 will also be getting married. A 5 year old getting married has no idea what is happening. She gets married to a 7 year old boy. Keep in mind that there is a ceremony that this young girl will not go to her husband’s home till she passes puberty. 5 years old and already married. It absolutely haunts me that this happens in parts of the world. But what can we do to stop child marriages? Let me remind you in a few countries this isn't a crime child marriage is not a crime and neither is forced marriage.