According to The World Bank, 15 million girls marry before the age of 18 globally. It’s a phenomenon that’s common in many poor nations around the world.
One of the countries with the highest rates of underage marriage has been Honduras. But in 2017 lawmakers passed a landmark ruling which raised the marital age from 16 to 18.
The new law is a big adjustment for Honduras where marrying very young has always been part of the culture. Correspondent Harris Whitbeck takes a look at how difficult banning a practice can be when it’s so steeped in tradition.
The World Bank predicts the country’s marriage ban will reduce early child-bearing which will decrease population growth and lower the country’s economic costs.