(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A United Nations social media campaign against child marriage sparked criticism after it featured an image of a blond, white bride rather than a child from the countries where child marriage is most common.
“Every 3 seconds, a girl is married somewhere in the world. Child marriage is a human rights violation that denies girls the chance to reach their full potential,” the UN wrote on X.
Alongside the post, the UN used an image of a young white girl in a wedding dress with the caption: “A child should never be in a marriage.”
Every 3 seconds, a girl is married somewhere in the world.
Child marriage is a human rights violation that denies girls the chance to reach their full potential.
This #ValentinesDay, join @UNFPA in speaking out against this form of gender-based violence: https://t.co/UyRhZUcH6G pic.twitter.com/tm0PkNDDYU
— United Nations (@UN) February 14, 2026
Critics quickly pointed out that child marriage disproportionately affects populations in Africa, South Asia and other regions where the majority of people are black or brown.
A Community Note fact-check emphasized that the UN itself acknowledges child marriages “happen in countries that are predominantly dark skinned.”
It added, “The use of a white woman with blond hair is a dishonest representation of the problem.”
Headline USA reviewed UN statistics showing the percentage of girls under 15 married in various countries, broken down from highest to lowest:
Chad: 30%; Niger: 28%; Mali: 23%; Guinea: 21%; Nigeria: 17%; Ethiopia: 16%; Mozambique: 14%; Cameroon: 13%; Sierra Leone: 13%; Malawi: 12%; Senegal: 12%; Benin: 11%; and followed by 10% each in Burkina Faso, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal and Uganda.
Countries with under 10% of girls under 15 married include: Gambia: 9%; Liberia: 9%; Congo: 6%; Gabon: 6%; Togo: 6%; Zambia: 6%; Ghana: 5%; Zimbabwe: 4%; Kenya: 4% and Namibia: 2%.
In response, critics used photoshopped images of dark-skinned children in bridal attire to counter the UN’s portrayal and highlight the real demographics most affected by child marriage.
This should be the right image to use ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/JQSiVaNmyi
— Marco (@MarcoEffe74) February 14, 2026
Fixed this for you pic.twitter.com/ZWvjXhKQoQ
— Kallistos III (@kallistosiii) February 14, 2026
