Girl, 15, prepares for her wedding to a 32-year-old man in Bangladesh where two-thirds of girls are wed by 18

It should be happiest day of her life, but 15-year-old Nasoin Akhter couldn't look more miserable as she is being forced into marriage to a 32-year-old man. The schoolgirl appears forlorn and, at times, even scared as she gets ready for the ceremony in Manikganj, near the capital Dhaka.

Sadly, according to a eport by the Human Rights Watch, 29 per cent of girls are married before the age of 15 and 65 per cent by the time they turn 18. The detrimental effects of early marriage on a girl can be extremely damaging.

Most young brides drop out of school and studies show that girls who fall pregnant from 15 to 20 years old are twice as likely to die in childbirth compared to those 20 or older. Girls under 15 are at five times the risk. 

The age difference between spouses can also a significant risk factor for violence and sexual abuse. Cultural tradition and poverty are the main reasons for child marriages. Larger dowries are not required for young girls and, economically, women's earnings are insignificant as compared to men's. Parents also believe that it protects girls from sexual assault and harassment. 

Just two weeks ago, a young Bangladeshi woman suffered horrific burns after she was allegedly forced to swallow acid because her father could not afford to pay her dowry.

Ripa Rani Pandit has been left with permanent facial scars and horrific internal injuries after being tortured with the burning liquid as part of an alleged eight-month campaign of abuse.

Her family claim that she was attacked by her in-laws because her parents could not cobble together the dowry which had been agreed prior to her marriage to Ratan Pandit. They say the 23-year-old has been subjected to constant abuse since the pair were married in December. 

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