Representatives from thirty countries at the 65th Assembly of
the World Health Assembly (May 2012) noted in their
contributions to the discussions on "Early marriages, adolescent
and young pregnancies” that early marriage is illegal in most
places where it occurs, that it is a violation of the rights of
girls, and that it has detrimental health and social
consequences on adolescent girls and their families and
communities. While physical, psychological and social
development extends from childhood through adolescence and into
adulthood, there is growing recognition that early adolescence
(10-14 years) is an especially crucial phase. There is also
widespread recognition that early adolescence has been/is being
neglected both in research and in action. When national
Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health strategies are not
implemented effectively, adolescents and young people are unable
to obtain the sexuality and reproductive health education they
need in their schools and communities, and sexual and reprod