I have heard many women say that they dream of their fairytale wedding. They also mention that they can't wait to meet that "special someone." They talk about how great the wedding was, the venue, the food, the dress, everything. Unfortunately, this is not the case in all countries. Child marriage is ranked as one of the world's most devastating problems (“Girls, Not Brides”). This crime has been around for a few decades now and has increased in percentage terms in previous years. The main reason why child marriage is on the rise is that it is passed down from generation to generation. Child marriage is a forced marriage when at least one of the spouses is under 18 years old. Although the majority of marriages are of girls, boys can also be forced into marriage. Often in marriages the man is much older than the girl, making the circumstances very uncomfortable. Parents force their daughters to marry an older man because it is a good thing to take their daughter out of the house and marry her before the age of 15 (United Nations). According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this is indeed a violation. Declaring that “marriage can only be contracted with the free and total consent of the future spouses” (“Girls Not Brides”). NATO has encountered this problem before, but has worked around it due to other, greater complications. Imagine that you are a nine-year-old girl and you have just come home from school. Suddenly, out of the blue, your parents tell you that you are going to marry a man they met yesterday, but you haven't even met him. We also tell you that he is 27 years old. What would your reaction be? Probably not too enthusiastic. But that's the central point of the paper...that what's happening is good, it's not. This is a completely unfair and unjust situation. Join an organization today and help prevent child marriage. Works Cited “Facts and Figures on Child Marriage.” International Center for Research on Women. International Center for Research on Women, 7 12 09. Web. November 21, 2013."Child protection and children's rights." Childline India. Childline India Foundation, 10 9 12. Web.21 November 2013. “Girls Not Brides”. About child marriage. The Elders Foundation, 11 09 12. Web. November 18, 2013."United Nations." Center for Reproductive Rights. United Nations, 24 4 09. Web. November 22 2013..