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. 2020 Mar 3;15(3):e0229676.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229676. eCollection 2020.

Child marriage in Canada: A systematic review

Michele Zaman  1 , Alissa Koski  2
Affiliations

Child marriage in Canada: A systematic review

Michele Zaman et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Child marriage, defined by the United Nations as marriage before the age of 18, is considered a violation of human rights with negative consequences for girls' health. We systematically reviewed existing academic literature and news media to learn what is known about the frequency of child marriage in Canada and its effects on health. Approximately 1% of 15-19-year-olds in Canada were married or in common law unions in 2016. News reports document cases of child marriage among religious minority communities but no nationwide estimates of the frequency of marriage before the age of 18 were identified. Sources consistently show girls are more likely to marry as teens than boys. Information on married teens between 15 and 19 years of age suggests similarities in marriage patterns among this age group in Canada and child marriage practices globally. Further research is needed to measure Canada's progress toward eliminating child marriage.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Diagram detailing the flow of information through phases of the systematic review.
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