According to Plan International’s 2025 State of the World’s Girls Report, early marriage and unions remains a widespread problem in Ecuador, despite the 2015 ban on child marriage. The study reveals that one in four Ecuadorian women married or entered a union before turning 18, with rates reaching 36.7% in rural provinces like Manabí. These unions are closely linked to poverty, gender violence, teenage pregnancy, and lack of sexual education, often leading to school dropout and loss of autonomy. Plan International stresses that child marriage is not a cultural tradition, but a form of violence and exclusion that demands urgent action from the state and society.
Compiled From: Redacción Web, “El 26% de la mujeres en Ecuador se casaron antes de los 18 años”, El Telégrafo, Oct. 14, 2025.