Child marriage was officially banned in Sierra Leone on Tuesday when President Julius Maada Bio enacted a new law to end the widespread practice.
Advocates anticipate that the new legislation will offer better protection to girls in Sierra Leone, where about a third marry before turning 18, which increases the maternal death rate due to the physical dangers of pregnancy, according to the health ministry.
The law states that any man who marries a girl under 18 could face at least 15 years in prison and a fine of approximately $4,000.
Parents or individuals attending such marriages could also be fined.
The U.S. Bureau of African Affairs praised the bill’s passage as a “significant milestone that not only safeguards girls but also promotes strong human rights protections.”
West and Central Africa have the highest child marriage rates in the world and are home to nearly 60 million child brides, according to UNICEF.
A 21-year-old former child bride from Sierra Leone, said she was forced into marriage at 14 and is now considering seeking an annulment under the new law.
Human Rights Watch researcher Betty Kabari stated that the legislation should “break the cycle of early marriage and its devastating consequences,” and it provides a model for other African countries, such as Tanzania and Zambia, to repeal laws allowing child marriage.
Nancy Mbamalu
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