As President Jacob Zuma prepares to launch the annual campaign against women and child abuse‚ an international coalition of civil society groups issued a statement drawing attention to child marriage and domestic violence. Zuma will on Wednesday launch the 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children campaign in Mahikeng‚ North West Province.The 2015 event will use the theme “Count Me In: Together Moving a Non-Violent South Africa Forward”.Gils Not Brides‚ a global partnership of more than 550 civil society organisations from over 75 countries‚ issued a warning on Tuesday saying that “every two seconds‚ a girl gets married‚ putting her at significant risk of domestic violence and of dying while giving birth”.The group says it is “committed to ending child marriage around the world and enabling girls to fulfil their potential”.It says that “82‚000 girls under the age of 18 will be married while African leaders meet to discuss child marriage at the two-day African Girls’ Summit in the Zambian capital‚ Lusaka‚ on 26th and 27th November”.The group says child brides are “more likely to experience domestic abuse than their unmarried peers and to report that their first sexual experience was forced‚ because of unequal power relationships with their often older husbands”.They are unable to negotiate safe sex or family planning‚ more likely to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases‚ m ore likely to face pressure to have children early‚ and more likely to die or suffer complications giving birth.Girls Not Brides Executive Director Lakshmi Sundaram says: “We applaud the African Union for recognising that child marriage is depriving millions of girls across the continent of a future. But it is time for this recognition to turn into action if we want to protect future generations of girls.“Unless African governments provide resources and services to support girls at risk‚ work with families and communities‚ put in place and enforce adequate policies and laws‚ child marriage will double by 2050.Sub-Saharan Africa will become the region with the highest number of child brides in the world. The future of Africa’s daughters and the prosperity of the continent itself is at stake.”..