Current:Home > Contact-usSierra Leone outlaws child marriage. Even witnesses to such weddings can face jail time.-LoTradeCoin
Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage. Even witnesses to such weddings can face jail time.
View Date:2024-12-24 00:14:14
A bill that bans child marriage in Sierra Leone has been signed into law, President Julius Maada Bio said late Tuesday, in an effort to protect girls in the West African nation where about a third are married before adulthood.
The law is being celebrated widely. It criminalizes marrying any girl who is under 18 years old. Offenders face up to 15 years in prison or a fine of around $4,000 or both. Witnesses to such marriages will also face jail or a fine.
"I have always believed that the future of Sierra Leone is female," Bio said on social media. "This and future generations of girls must thrive in Sierra Leone in which they're protected, equal and empowered."
Sierra Leone is home to 800,000 child brides, with half of them married before age 15, according to the U.N. children's agency.
First Lady Fatima Bio was among the key champions of the law that also provides improved access to education and support services for children affected by child marriage.
When it was passed by parliament as a bipartisan bill in June, she called it "a significant step forward in protecting the rights of our next generation."
Human Rights Watch called the legislation a milestone and said it sets a path forward for other countries like Tanzania and Zambia to reverse laws that allow child marriage.
The government should now raise awareness nationwide about the law and address other harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, says Betty Kabari, a researcher in the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch. It should provide support services for married children and children at risk of child marriage, and focus on keeping girls in school.
- In:
- Child Marriage
- Africa
veryGood! (92456)
Related
- NY forest ranger dies fighting fires as air quality warnings are issued in New York and New Jersey
- California's Miracle Hot Springs closes indefinitely following 2nd death in 16 months
- CVS and Walgreens to start dispensing the abortion pill in states where it's legal
- Gov. Abbott says Texas wildfires may have destroyed up to 500 structures
- Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
- Olympian Katie Ledecky is focused on Paris, but could 2028 Games also be in the picture?
- Millie Bobby Brown Dives Deep Into How Fiancé Jake Bongiovi Proposed
- As Texas crews battle largest wildfire in state history, more fire weather ahead: Live updates
- Olivia Munn began randomly drug testing John Mulaney during her first pregnancy
- Biden signs short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown
Ranking
- Rōki Sasaki is coming to MLB: Dodgers the favorite to sign Japanese ace for cheap?
- Did Charlotte the stingray give birth? Fans, social media are abuzz as 'baby' watch begins
- 'White Christmas' child star Anne Whitfield dies after 'unexpected accident,' family says
- Social media is giving men ‘bigorexia,' or muscle dysmorphia. We need to talk about it.
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- Report from National Urban League finds continued economic disparities among Black Americans
- Where to watch Oscar-nominated movies from 'The Holdovers' to 'Napoleon'
- 10,000 cattle expected to be slaughtered by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, reports say
Recommendation
-
Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
-
Texas Panhandle ranchers face losses and grim task of removing dead cattle killed by wildfires
-
10,000 cattle expected to be slaughtered by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, reports say
-
Harvard Business School grad targeted fellow alumni in Ponzi scheme, New York attorney general says
-
Biden, Harris participate in Veterans Day ceremony | The Excerpt
-
Andy Russell, star LB who helped turn Pittsburgh Steelers into champions, dies at 82
-
Researchers found a new species in the waters off of the U.K. — but they didn't realize it at first
-
Driver crashes SUV into Michigan Walmart, leaving multiple people injured