The 2026 International Day of the Girl on October 11 carries the theme 'End child marriage and invest in girls' rights.' UNFPA says one girl is married before adulthood every three seconds worldwide. Child marriage can force girls out of school and into early pregnancy while increasing health, violence, poverty and employment risks. Over the past decade, the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage has supported more than 40 million girls who were at risk or already married, yet progress must accelerate at least twentyfold to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal. Effective investment means sustained education, sexual and reproductive health care, social protection, and meaningful participation by girls in the policies and budgets that shape their lives.