Colombia’s congress has voted to change the law that previously allowed minors to marry with parental consent. The new proposal sets the minimum marriage age at 18, aiming to safeguard the rights and growth opportunities of young people. The bill still requires President Gustavo Petro’s approval to become law.
Under the current law, children as young as 14 can marry if they have parental permission. The reform, introduced in 2023, carries the slogan “they’re girls, not wives,” emphasizing the protection of girls from forced marriages, violence, and the loss of educational and developmental opportunities.
Congresswoman Clara López Obregón stated, “Minors are not sexual objects, they’re girls,” after the proposal received approval.
Child marriage continues to affect approximately 12 million girls annually, according to UNICEF. However, global child marriage rates have declined in recent years, with the proportion of women aged 20 to 24 who were married as children dropping from one in four a decade ago to one in five today.
In Latin America, poverty is a key factor contributing to child marriages, as per UNICEF.
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