Child marriage costs countries billions in lost earnings: World Bank

– Uphill battle –

Despite growing awareness of the practice, as policy makers met in Ghana a 17-year-old girl in South Sudan was auctioned for marriage on Facebook, causing international outrage.

The viral post eventually led to the largest dowry ever recorded in the fledgling war-torn nation, with the highest bidder a man three times older than her.

Others bidding included a deputy state governor, according to reports.

Kathurima Muhia said that indicated the scale of the task at hand.

“One of the challenges we are having on the continent is where the policymakers themselves who are supposed to protect the law are the ones who are breaking it and child marriage is a key way of demonstrating that,” she added.