United Nations agencies want urgent action on child marriage in Zimbabwe, where one in three girls is married before her 18th birthday. The call went out ahead of the International Day of the Girl, marked on October 11. This year's commemoration carries the theme "End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls' Rights." According to the UN, early marriage cuts short a girl's schooling and often leaves her economically dependent for life. Campaigners are pressing for tougher enforcement of laws that already ban the practice on paper. Communities, schools and local leaders are being asked to spot and stop early unions before they happen. UN officials argue that genuine progress depends on sustained investment in girls themselves.