Photographer Captures Moments in the Tragic Lives of Child Brides

Mejgon, 16, with her caseworker at a shelter run by Afghan women in Herat, Afghanistan. Mejgon’s father sold her at the age of 11 to a 60-year-old man for two boxes of heroin.

Worldwide, each year a staggering 14.2 million girls under the age of 18 are forced to marry. After learning about heartbreaking cases such as Mejgon's (above photo), National Geographic photographer Stephanie Sinclair set out to document the problems of child brides.
Sinclair's series, "Too Young To Wed," is a campaign to raise awareness and funds for girls who are trapped in child marriages, which can lead to situations such as abuse, death from complications of childbirth and other health issues. Sinclair said,

“I have no idea what became of [Mejgon]. I’m sure it wasn’t good. The fact that I was powerless to do anything about it has been one of the main reasons why I continued the project and why I’m still working on it today.”

See additional pictures and learn more about Sinclair's project here.

The Nepalese wedding ceremony of Niruta, 14. Niruta moved in with the family of Durga, 17, and became pregnant when they were engaged. She was nine months pregnant at her wedding.