That's an account of the background of the founder of the organization the piece is about.
Instead of anecdote, they provide statistics about child marriage, one line earlier:
“At least 60,000 marriages since 2000 have occurred at an age or spousal age difference that should have constituted statutory rape under the law.”
It isn't obvious to me that the age of consent should be identical in all contexts, so this doesn't seem alarming on its face. It depends on the particulars. That's where a good anecdote can help, but this one doesn't. I don't need to be convinced that consent is always necessary for a valid marriage.
No doubt! The rest of the article provides other statistics and apparently there's a report they're getting this from. Sibling comments have also already begun to provide more context. The internet is truly an amazing place, but especially HN here. I appreciate the effort that goes into everyone's commentary!
Edit: The comment this is responding to has been edited so context has been lost, but I'm letting this one stand as is.