A severe drought in Southern Africa, exacerbated by El Niño, has driven families to desperate measures, including marrying off their daughters in exchange for food. This practice is leaving young women vulnerable to exploitation and violence, highlighting the need for urgent action to protect them.
A draft bill in the Iraqi Parliament proposes lowering the legal age of marriage for girls to nine, sparking widespread outrage and concerns over the potential legalization of child marriage and exploitation. The bill also allows boys as young as 15 to marry, sparking protests from women’s rights groups and raising fears of a rollback on women’s rights in Iraq.
Sierra Leone has made a significant step forward in protecting children’s rights by passing a law that prohibits child marriage. The law criminalizes marrying girls under 18 years of age, carrying a potential 15-year prison sentence for offenders. This victory comes amidst a challenging economic climate and reflects a commitment to addressing the widespread issue of child marriage in the country.
In a successful intervention, police in Charsadda town, Pakistan, prevented the marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a 72-year-old man. The girl’s father had agreed to sell her for PKR 500,000, but police apprehended the groom and the officiant before the ceremony. This incident highlights the ongoing issue of child marriage in Pakistan, despite existing laws against it.
In Pakistan, women are subjected to forced conversion and marriages due to a patriarchal society and discriminatory laws. Young girls, particularly from religious minority communities, are exposed to abduction, violence, and intimidation to coerce them into converting to Islam and marrying their abductors. Despite laws prohibiting forced conversions, a lack of implementation and political pressure from religious groups have made it challenging to combat this issue effectively.
The Child Protection Welfare Bureau (CPWB) has proposed a landmark Child Marriage Restraint Bill, aiming to raise the minimum marriage age for girls in Punjab to 18 years. The bill aims to combat the alarmingly high prevalence of child marriage in the province, with 18% of women aged 20-24 wed before turning 18. The modernized bill replaces the outdated Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of young girls.
