Latest news with #childmarriage
Zawya
17 hours ago
- General
- Zawya
Women and Law in Southern Africa and Equality Now Call for Urgent Legal Reform to Support Child Marriage Survivors in Zimbabwe
A new study commissioned by Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) ( with support from Equality Now ( has found that although Zimbabwe has introduced commendable legislative and policy measures to prevent child marriage, survivors still face significant challenges. WLSA and Equality Now ( are calling upon the Government of Zimbabwe and relevant stakeholders to provide enhanced protection and support by strengthening legal, institutional, and policy frameworks, particularly for those already affected by child marriage. An Analysis of the Laws and Policies in Place for the Protection and Support of Victims/Survivors of Child Marriages in Zimbabwe: A case Study for Epworth' ( features valuable insights from child marriage survivors and civil society organisations interviewed in Epworth, a densely populated settlement in Harare with over 200,000 residents. Widespread poverty, limited access to public services, and lack of access to information, legal support, and protection accountability contribute to persistently high rates of child marriage in the community. The accompanying policy brief, 'Imperative Legal, Policy and Institutional Reforms for Enhanced Support and Protection of Child Marriage Victims and Survivors' ( summarises gaps in laws and other measures identified in the study, and puts forward key recommendations for legal reforms. Survivors of child marriage experience numerous difficulties, including susceptibility to gender-based violence (GBV), extreme poverty, and a lack of access to education, employment, and income. Stigma, low acceptance from their own families, obstacles in obtaining birth registration certificates for their children, and inaccessible and unaffordable maternal, sexual, and reproductive health and psychosocial support services are also critical challenges they experience. Without comprehensive and adequately resourced support mechanisms, along with awareness raising about legal protections and available services, child marriage will continue to have life-long lasting and irreversible effects on survivors, their families, and the wider society. Zimbabwe's legal commitments on child marriage With an estimated 34% of girls married ( before age 18, Zimbabwe ranks among the top 20 countries in Africa with the highest prevalence of child marriage. To address this, Zimbabwe has made significant commitments through national legislation, regional instruments, and international treaties. The Marriages Act (Chapter 5:17), enacted in 2022, sets 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage without exceptions and prohibits child marriage. Additionally, Zimbabwe's Constitution (Amendment No. 20, 2013) protects against forced marriage by mandating that 'no marriage is entered into without the free and full consent of the intending spouses.' The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and the Children's Act impose penalties for child exploitation and abuse. The National Gender Policy (2017) and the National Development Strategy (2021–2025) reflect a rights-based approach to gender equality and child protection. Regionally and internationally, Zimbabwe has ratified key instruments, including the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Maputo Protocol, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Zimbabwe has also domesticated the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Child Marriage. These instruments underscore the country's legal commitment and moral obligation to uphold children's rights and ensure free and informed consent in marriage. Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Isheanesu Chirisa, WLSA National Director, stated: 'Child marriage is a gross human rights violation that does not get nearly enough attention in Zimbabwe. It robs girls of their lives and futures.' Zimbabwe must update its legal frameworks on child marriage While these positive legal and policy commitments are commendable, WLSA and Equality Now are concerned that such efforts have not been matched by adequate support systems addressing the trauma and systemic disadvantages that survivors of child marriage face. The study highlights how some policy and legal frameworks are outdated, and there is an absence of a comprehensive support framework, inconsistent sentencing for perpetrators, and a lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services. Delayed policy updates and education reforms further disadvantage survivors, making it difficult for affected girls to return to school. For example, the Marriages Act, the Children's Act, and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act contain provisions that criminalise child exploitation and abuse. However, Zimbabwe's legal and policy framework fails to provide meaningful protection, legal remedies, or access to essential services for survivors of child marriage. In addition, while the National Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Coordination Forum applies a multi-stakeholder approach to combat GBV, including providing support to child marriage survivors, its effectiveness is hampered by underfunding, inadequate resources to coordinate meetings with forum members, and duplication of work alongside overlapping and unclear mandates between government ministries and other organisations. Since the lapsing of the National Action Plan on Ending Child Marriage in 2021, a new national action plan has yet to be adopted, affecting the implementation of laws and policies on child marriage. As highlighted by Dr Mavis Sibanda, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; speaking at a launch event for the study on May 27, 2025, in Harare: "Child marriage explicitly indicates unequal power dynamics in Zimbabwe. This perpetuates an inter-generational cycle of poverty, limiting women's and girls' access to education and leadership. Unfortunately, few manage to come out of these marriages.' Recommendations for legal and policy reform In light of the study's findings, WLSA and Equality Now urge the Government of Zimbabwe to take urgent and coordinated action to eliminate child marriage and better support survivors as follows: Reform laws on child marriage to fully align Zimbabwe's national law with the SADC Model Law on Child Marriage ( Introduce a dedicated child marriage law, incorporating provisions for healthcare, legal assistance, and survivor support. Strengthen property and inheritance rights for child marriage survivors. Amend the Births and Deaths Registration Act to require fathers to be registered on birth certificates of children born outside of wedlock or in unregistered customary unions. Update the Termination of Pregnancy Act (15.10) to allow the termination of a pregnancy in any case involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. Increase public awareness about the law on child marriage, and educate demographics at risk about their rights, how to report violations, and available support services. Implement sentencing guidelines to ensure consistent and appropriate penalties for child marriage and GBV. Reinstate and fund a comprehensive National Action Plan on Ending Child Marriages, drawing lessons from Malawi and Uganda. Adopt a National Gender Policy that recognises child marriage as a development issue within the upcoming National Development Strategy (NDS-2). Provide community actors with the resources and training needed to deliver localised support. Strengthen access to legal aid and ensure education policies allow and support girls to return to school after pregnancy. WLSA and Equality Now are committed to supporting legal reforms and multi-stakeholder interventions towards a world free from child marriage, with comprehensive support mechanisms at all levels to support survivors of child marriage. Sally Ncube, Equality Now's Regional Representative for Southern Africa, concludes: "Zimbabwe has made great strides in recent years to domesticate and implement the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children already in Marriage. There is a need to do more to ensure comprehensive legal protection and support measures for survivors of child marriage, to empower and support already married girls as they continue to be exposed to gender-based violence, poverty, trauma, and exclusion. 'Strengthening implementation, enforcement, and oversight mechanisms will ensure laws and policies provide child marriage survivors with access to justice, healthcare, education, safeguarding, and livelihood support." Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now. For media enquiries, contact: Sphiwe Dlamini Regional Communications Officer Equality Now sdlamini@ T. +27 (0)711429179 (available on WhatsApp) Find us on: Bluesky: @ ( Instagram: @ equalitynoworg ( LinkedIn: Equality Now ( About Equality Now: Equality Now ( is an international human rights organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all women and girls worldwide. Its work is organised around four main program areas: Achieving Legal Equality, Ending Sexual Violence, Ending Harmful Practices, and Ending Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique challenges facing adolescent girls. Equality Now combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at the international, regional, and national levels to achieve systemic change, and collaborates with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold women's and girls' rights. For more information about Equality Now, visit About Women and Law in Southern African Research and Education Trust (WLSA): Women and Law in Southern African Research and Education Trust (WLSA) ( Zimbabwe started as a local Chapter of a sub-regional network in 1989. WLSA is now registered and operates as a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) in Zimbabwe. The network member countries include Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia. The purpose of the network is to contribute to the sustained well-being of women and girl children through action-oriented research in the socio-legal field and advocating for women's rights. WLSA work incorporates action into research by questioning and challenging the law, instigating campaigns for changes in laws, policies and plans of action, educating women and girls about their rights, providing legal advice and gender sensitising communities and leadership.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Pakistan criminalizes child marriages in Islamabad despite opposition from Council of Islamic Ideology
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill criminalizing child marriages in the federal capital of Islamabad, despite opposition from a constitutional body that advises the Pakistani government on the compatibility of laws with Islam. The law criminalizes underage marriages and introduces strict penalties of up to seven years in prison for family members, clerics and marriage registrars who facilitate or coerce children into early marriages. Any sexual relations within a marriage involving a minor, regardless of consent, will be considered statutory rape, according to the law. An adult man who marries a girl under the legal age could face up to three years in prison. Pakistan's National Assembly had unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Sharmila Faruqui on May 16. Under the new law, the minimum legal age for marriage for both men and women in Islamabad is 18. Previously, it was 16 for girls and 18 for boys. However, the Council of Islamic Ideology this week declared the said bill 'un-Islamic,' saying that clauses of the bill, such as fixing the age limit for marriage and declaring marriage below the age of 18 as child abuse and punishable, did not conform with Islamic injunctions. 'The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament,' President Zardari was quoted as saying in a notification issued from his office. In Pakistan, 29 percent of girls are married by the age of 18 and 4 percent marry before the age of 15, according to Girls Not Brides, a global coalition working to end child marriage. In comparison, five percent of boys marry before 18. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman thanked the president for signing the bill into law 'despite all pressure.' 'Proud moment for Pakistan,' she said on X. 'Thank you to all the women and men who made this possible after a long journey of twists and turns.' Thank you President @AAliZardari for signing into law the #ChildMarriageRestraint bill despite all pressure! Proud moment for #Pakistan Thank you to all the women and men who made this possible after a long journey of twists and turns. — SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) May 30, 2025 Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries globally with the highest absolute number of women who were married or in a union before turning 18. Girls who marry young are less likely to complete their education and are more vulnerable to domestic violence, abuse and serious health complications. Pregnancy poses significantly higher risks for child brides, increasing the chances of obstetric fistulas, sexually transmitted infections and even maternal death. Teenagers are far more likely to die from childbirth-related complications than women in their twenties.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Ban on child marriage is deemed 'un-Islamic' by Pakistan's religious leaders
A new law banning child marriage in Pakistan has been criticised by a prominent council for being 'un-Islamic'. Pakistan's government last week passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, which aims to put an end to minors being forced into marriages and cohabitation with adults. The legislation, set to be signed into effect by President Asif Ali Zardari, will see adults found to be cohabiting with minors punished by up to seven years in a prison and a fine of one million rupees (£2,663) on charges of statutory rape. It is set to roll out in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, with hopes that other parts of the country will introduce the law in short order. But Pakistan's Council of Islamic Ideology - a prominent body that advises the government of the Muslim majority nation 'whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam' - has opposed the bill. The council said in a statement published Tuesday: 'Declaring marriage below the age of eighteen as child abuse and prescribing punishments for it, and other controversial provisions, are not in line with Islamic injunctions. 'Overall, the Council rejected the bill. It also clarified that this bill was not sent to the Council for review by the Parliament or the Senate. 'Marriage should be protected from unnecessary legal complications, and a public awareness campaign in this regard could prove more effective,' it argued. The bill was passed after several female politicians who were married off as minors shared their personal support. Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest absolute number of women who were married before the age of 18 - more than 20 million. Data compiled by activist group Girls Not Brides and Pakistan's National Institute of Population Studies suggest nearly 1 in 5 women in Pakistan (18%) are married before the age of 18, and 4% before the age of 15. Researchers and activists point to a range of factors contributing to Pakistan's soaring child marriage rate, including religion, long-entrenched societal and gender norms, and rampant poverty. Sherry Rehman, a senator who tabled the bill after MP Sharmila Farooqi introduced it in Pakistan's National Assembly, said the new legislation will 'send a powerful message'. 'It's a very important signal to the country, to our development partners, and to women that their rights are protected at the top.' Naseema Ehsan, 50, told the Senate: 'I got married at 13 years old and I want child marriage to be banned. 'I was lucky to have good and affluent in-laws but most Pakistani women are not so lucky. Not every child has a supportive husband like me.' The bill's text pointed out that research had 'invariably proved' that child marriage 'is harmful to both genders and especially girls who have hit puberty and are able to bear children'. Ehsan added: 'I've never been so content to vote for a bill as the child marriage restraint bill,' in comments to The Guardian. 'The world has changed and developed. We have progressed and we must embrace the progress… It was a very much needed bill.' Pakistan in 2010 devolved much political power to regional governments, entrusting provinces to draft and enact many of their own laws. The regional government in the Pakistani province of Sindh passed a Marriage Restraint Act back in 2013 that outlawed marriage under the age of 18, but it remains the only province to have done so. It is hoped that the new legislation set to come into effect across the Islamabad Capital Territory will lead to the measure being adopted throughout the country. Nadeem Afzal Chan, a member of the Pakistan People's Party, said the government in Balochistan province would soon follow suit. The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also drafted a child marriage restriction bill, though it is yet to be passed. Pakistan has committed to ending child, early and forced marriage by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. But underage marriage is still rampant, particularly in rural areas of Pakistan. The CII is seen as one of the most influential and prominent bodies preventing politicians from taking action. A recently published article in Pakistani outlet Dawn described theological authorities as 'self-appointed custodians of belief and convention' that 'reject empowerment, making it difficult for political parties to criticise child marriage, forced conversions and other atrocities in their party manifestos and poll campaigns'. 'The deeply patriarchal undercurrents of our sociopolitical setting, too, have kept politicians from stressing on the need to abandon laws that validate child abuse as well as allow adults to coerce young girls into illegal unions,' it read.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Banning child marriage is un-Islamic, Pakistani government told
Banning child marriage is un-Islamic, Pakistan's government was told after setting 18 as the minimum age to marry. Its Child Marriage Restraint Bill, unanimously passed by both houses of the country's parliament, seeks to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate child marriage. Any form of co-habitation between adults and minors will be deemed statutory rape and punished by up to seven years in prison and a fine of no less than 1 million Pakistani rupees (£2,663). But the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which advises the government on theological issues, said it rejected the bill because classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law. Child marriage should be discouraged but the Bill 'has been declared un-Islamic', it said on Wednesday. Replacing colonial legislation Despite the CII's opposition, the Bill is to be signed into law in the coming days by Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president. It will replace British colonial-era legislation that set the legal age of marriage for boys to 18 and girls at 16, although many Pakistani children continue to be coerced into underage marriages. The new legislation will apply to Islamabad, the capital, but politicians and activists hope to roll out similar laws to other areas of the country in the future. A similar Bill was passed in Sindh province over a decade ago. The CII's verdict is unlikely to prevent the law's enactment in Islamabad but it could increase opposition to future legislation in more religious areas. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of underage marriage in the world, with nearly 30 million women – roughly 30 per cent of the female population – wed before the age of 18. Girls Not Brides, a global coalition aiming to end child marriage, has reported that 4 per cent of Pakistani girls and 5 per cent of Pakistani boys marry before the age of 15. Domestic violence and health problems During the parliamentary debate, Naseema Ehsan, 50, a senator, shared her personal story of being married at 13 and said she wanted the practice banned. Those married as children are statistically the most likely to drop out of school, and are reported to often face domestic violence, or health complications, particularly with underage pregnancies. Dr Ifrah Aslam, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Mumbai, said: 'These girls are still growing themselves; their bodies aren't ready to carry a pregnancy.
Arab News
7 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Pakistan Council of Islamic Ideology declares bill to criminalize child marriages ‘un-Islamic'
ISLAMABAD: A constitutional council that advises the Pakistani government on the compatibility of laws with Islam has this week declared a landmark bill to criminalize child marriages in the federal capital of Islamabad as being 'un-Islamic.' The National Assembly on Friday unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill to curb child marriages and protect girls from becoming mothers in their teens. The bill, tabled by MNA Sharmila Faruqui, will be signed into law by the president in the coming days and replace legislation introduced during British colonial rule. Under the new law, the minimum age for marriage is 18 for both men and women in Islamabad where underage marriage will now be considered a criminal offense. Previously, the minimum age was 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Up to seven years in prison has been introduced among other punishments for people, including family members, clerics and registrars, who facilitate or coerce children into early marriage. Any sexual relations within a marriage involving a minor, with or without consent, will be deemed statutory rape, while an adult man found to have married a girl could face up to three years in prison. 'The bill introduced by Madam Sharmila Faruqi … has been declared un-Islamic,' the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said in a statement issued by its media wing after the body held its 243rd session on May 27–28 at its headquarters in Islamabad. Clauses of the bill, such as fixing the age limit for marriage and declaring marriage below the age of 18 as child abuse and punishable, do not conform with Islamic injunctions, the CII said. In Pakistan, 29 percent of girls are married by 18 , according to a 2018 demographic survey, and 4 percent marry before the age of 15 compared with 5 percent for boys, according to Girls Not Brides, a global coalition aiming to end child marriage. The country is among the top 10 worldwide with the highest absolute number of women who were married or in a union before the age of 18. Girls who marry are less likely to finish school and are more likely to face domestic violence, abuse and health problems. Pregnancies become higher risk for child brides, with a greater chance of fistulas, sexually transmitted infections or even death. Teenagers are more likely to die from complications during childbirth than women in their 20s.
