Every 7 seconds, a young girl becomes a bride, report says

(CNN)The statistics are startling: Around the world, every seven seconds, a girl under 15 is married.

Becoming a child bride is one factor that greatly affects the future of women and girls around the world, according to a report by Save the Children released Tuesday.

"Child marriage starts a cycle of disadvantage that denies girls the most basic rights to learn, develop and be children," said Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

Girls who marry too early often can't attend school, and are more likely to face domestic violence, abuse and rape… They also bear children before their bodies are fully prepared, which can have devastating consequences on their and their baby's health."

The report, called "Every Last Girl," ranked 144 countries from the best to the worst in which to be a girl. The listing was based on child marriage, schooling, teen pregnancy, maternal deaths and the number of female lawmakers.

The stories of the child brides are harrowing and heartbreaking. Girls as young as 10 are being married off, in many cases with much older men, the global charity reports.

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