The UN faces criticism after pairing global child marriage data with an image critics say misrepresents where the crisis is most severe.
On February 14, 2026, the official United Nations account posted: “Every 3 seconds, a girl is married somewhere in the world.” The statistic aligns with longstanding data from UNICEF and other monitoring groups. Child marriage remains a serious global issue, cutting short education, increasing health risks, and entrenching poverty.
However, controversy erupted over the image accompanying the message: a sad-looking blonde girl wearing a traditional white Western wedding dress. Critics argue the visual does not reflect the demographic reality of where child marriage is most prevalent.
According to consolidated figures from UNICEF and advocacy network Girls Not Brides, the highest rates are concentrated overwhelmingly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia.
