A groundbreaking report by Plan International, titled ‘Let Me Be a Girl, Not a Wife,’ has exposed the alarming role of social media in perpetuating child marriage. Presented in Spain’s Congress of Deputies ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), the study highlights how digital platforms are inadvertently facilitating contact between minors and older men, undermining parental authority and pressuring families to marry off girls to ‘preserve their honor.’ The report, which includes testimonies from over 250 girls across 15 countries—including the Dominican Republic—reveals that 12 million girls are forced into marriage annually. While global rates of early marriage have decreased from 22% to 19% in the past decade, the study found that six in ten married girls neither study nor work, and over a third are compelled to leave school. Poverty remains the primary driver of child marriage, but the report emphasizes that social media has emerged as a new enabler, allowing men to exploit vulnerable girls. Despite child marriage being illegal in 14 of the 15 countries studied, informal unions continue to be socially accepted. Plan International has called on governments to invest in education and initiatives that challenge harmful societal norms and safeguard girls’ rights, reaffirming that every girl deserves the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive without the burden of forced marriage.