Last week, Malaysia considered outlawing child marriage, a contentious issue in the Muslim-majority nation, without success. Instead, an MP said nine-year-old girls are “physically and spiritually ready for marriage.”

In Kyrgyzstan, a young woman is abducted roughly every 40 minutes. ‘Ala kachuu’ is the name for the tradition dating from nomadic times. The old custom is becoming more and more common. Women are being kidnapped and forced to marry.

Child marriage impedes a girl’s education and fosters violence. It must be eradicated, says Monika Michell from the women’s rights organization Terre des Femmes.