The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for AOM-LAW-1

Oct. 9, 2024, 7:59 p.m.
Countries: Belize
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"No changes have been made to the Marriage Act since it was amended in August 2005. At the time, the age of marriage was adjusted from 14 to 16 years to match age of consent in Belize" (39).
July 19, 2024, 9:09 p.m.
Countries: Sierra Leone
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

“Sierra Leone made history when the president signed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024…It repeals previous ambiguous laws to explicitly name child marriage as illegal and underscores a clear commitment to girls’ rights. The legislation also establishes mechanisms for enforcement, ensuring that perpetrators – including the husband and those who enable the marriage such as parents and the person officiating – are held accountable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment, with survivors now able to seek justice and compensation” (1-2).
July 18, 2024, 6:38 p.m.
Countries: Guatemala
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"With regard to the prohibition on marriage for minors under 18 years of age, the Supreme Court of Justice, in its decision No. 52-2018, abolished the power to consider requests to authorize marriages for minors under 18 years of age, and the related decision-making procedure" (35).
March 30, 2024, 2:46 p.m.
Countries: Lithuania
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[C]ourts are able to reduce the minimum age of consent for marriage from 18 years of age to 16 years of age or, exceptionally, even lower, when compelled by significant circumstances, including the pregnancy of the girl" (14).
March 15, 2024, 2:30 p.m.
Countries: Gabon
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[With regard to the civil code:] the minimum age [for marriage] will be 18 years for girls" (3). "[With regard to the penal code:] the minimum age of marriage will be harmonized at 18 years old for both girls and boys" (3). "The draft Children's Code adopted by Parliament in 2018 sets 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys in Gabon" (29).
Feb. 20, 2024, 6:27 p.m.
Countries: D R Congo
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[The revised Family Code] provides for a minimum age of marriage of 18 for both men and women" (17).
Jan. 16, 2024, 6:33 p.m.
Countries: Botswana
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"In terms of Section 45 of the Interpretation (Amendment) Act, 2013 the legal age of majority in Botswana is 18 years irrespective of sex. This effectively accords any such person locus standi to act in his/her name without any parental consent, save for persons who have been mentally incapacitated" (21). "The Interpretation Act has set the age of majority to 18 years entitling one at 18 to marry or be married without parental consent. An assessment of Primary and Secondary School dropouts indicates marriage as one of the reasons for a number of girls abandoning schooling which is a cause for concern that could also imply the existence of child...more
Jan. 4, 2024, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"Under the Women's Charter, the minimum legal age of marriage in Singapore is 18 years with parental consent. A person below 18 years of age wishing to get married has to apply for a Special Marriage License from MSF and attend a mandatory marriage preparation programme before he/she can marry" (40).
Oct. 4, 2023, 6:58 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[U]nder article 24 of the Family Code, the child and/or forced marriage of girls as young as 15 years of age is legal and permissible on an exceptional basis" (7).
Sept. 25, 2023, 8:02 a.m.
Countries: Guyana
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The legal age for marriage is 18, but boys and girls may marry at age 16 with parental consent or judicial authority" (9).
Sept. 22, 2023, 8:51 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The legal age for marriage with parental consent is 15 for girls and 16 for boys" (20).
Aug. 15, 2023, 5:22 p.m.
Countries: Bahamas
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The legal minimum age for marriage is 18, although minors may marry at 15 with parental permission" (13).
Aug. 15, 2023, 6:17 a.m.
Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The Committee welcomes the legislative and policy measures taken by the State party, including awareness-raising initiatives, to address harmful practices (CEDAW/C/CIV/4, paras. 92–93; and CEDAW/C/CIV/Q/4/Add.1, paras. 26–28). It is nevertheless concerned about: (a) The prevalence of child marriages resulting in early pregnancies and maternal mortality, the absence of regular assessments of national policies and plans to combat harmful practices, including the plan to accelerate the fight against child marriage and early pregnancy for the period 2013–2015, and the lack of information on efforts by the State party to collaborate with religious and traditional leaders" (7-8). "In line with joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of...more
Aug. 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[The] legislation prohibit[s] marriage for persons under 16 years of age" (5). [T]the minimum age of marriage is set at 18 years for both girls and boys and cohabitation with persons under 16 years of age is prohibited" (13).
Aug. 8, 2023, 12:20 p.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"To guarantee equality between men and women, the Constitution of Senegal reaffirms the principle of prohibiting all forms of discrimination, in particular genderbased discrimination...It prohibits the forced marriage of young girls and women..." (3). "To combat violence against women, the State has implemented several measures. These include: Development of an advocacy document to support the process of reforming discriminatory laws, such as the age of marriage for girls..." (15). "In the context of marriage, women are subject to many forms of discrimination, including discrimination with regard to the minimum age for marriage, which, according to article 111, 'may only be entered into between a man of over 18 years of...more
July 25, 2023, 10:44 a.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[M]arriage under 18 years of age is prohibited by law" (15).
July 10, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Maldives
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The Supreme Court of Maldives has formulated and maintains the Regulation on Family Matters pursuant to the Family Law in Maldives. As such the First Amendment to Regulation on Family Matters introduced Section 85 to the Regulation. Section 85 (a) states that where a party/parties requesting marriage is below the statutory age of 18 years, as per Section 4 of the Family Act, such a marriage may be conducted only in the Family Court. Section 85 (b) further states that the Family Court shall in those circumstances refer to Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services, and consider the Ministry’s stand on that matter. On 20th September 2016, the Supreme...more
June 27, 2023, 11:16 p.m.
Countries: Algeria
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The legal minimum age of marriage is 19 for both men and women, but minors may marry with parental consent, regardless of gender" (30).
June 20, 2023, 9:30 p.m.
Countries: Nicaragua
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"Under the Code, any person who has reached the age of 18 years may legally enter into marriage or a de facto union. Men and women have equal rights and obligations in that regard and legal inequalities embodied by differences in the marriageable age of women and men have been eliminated." (32).
June 14, 2023, 7:56 p.m.
Countries: Bolivia
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[T]he current Family and Family Procedure Code provides that persons may freely enter into marriage or a free union once they reach the age of majority at 18, and exceptionally provides for adolescent girls and boys to enter into marriage or free union at 16, provided that they have the permission of those exercising parental authority, guardianship or tutelage or, in the absence of such authorization, of the competent authority, with the possibility of the authority annulling refusals" (29).
April 28, 2023, 9:47 p.m.
Countries: Tanzania
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[T]he Law of Marriage Act 1971, in allowing boys to marry from the age of 18 and girls to marry from 15 (with parental consent) and even 14 (with a court’s permission), sanctions the infringement of girls’ equal rights" (6, 10).
April 1, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Uzbekistan
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"A significant contribution to the development of gender legislation adopted in Uzbekistan was made in 2019 by, inter alia:…[T]he Act amending and supplementing article 15 of the Family Code of 28 August 2019…"(4)(NF - CODER COMMENT - This legislation make the legal age of marriage for both men and women at 18). "Legislative measures have been taken in Uzbekistan to eliminate discrimination against women in family and marital relations: on 29 August 2019, a law was adopted to amend article 15 of the Family Code, according to which, from 1 September 2019, the marriageable age for men and women was established at 18 years." (7-8). "In order to eradicate early...more
March 31, 2023, 2:31 p.m.
Countries: Egypt
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"Act No. 126 of 2008, sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 years for women and men" (7).
March 8, 2023, 1:43 p.m.
Countries: Montenegro
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"There is still no legislative initiative to set the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years" (10).
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The Constitution guarantees rights against exploitation and discrimination from all harmful traditional practices that discriminate women. No laws and policies of Nepal recognize and protect such harmful practices. State agencies and even the private persons are prohibited to make any treatment against women which undermines the fundamental freedom of women. Chhaupadi, Kamlari and Deuki system have been formally abolished and child marriage has been made illegal." (26). "Number 1 of Chapter on marriage of General Code guarantees right to marriage on own choice and full consent, and Number 2 provides same minimum age of marriage for both men and women. Number 1 of the Chapter on Husband and Wife guarantees...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:28 a.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"Chad, which is in the middle of the Sahara Desert, has the highest rate of child marriage in the world – 70 per cent of girls are married before they are 18, according to Unicef. Around 30 per cent of girls are married before they turn 15. This is despite a law that was passed in 2015 to criminalise child marriages. The ruling also contravenes the constitution which states that Chad is a secular country" (Para.7-8).
Feb. 6, 2023, 12:07 p.m.
Countries: Kyrgyzstan
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The Committee [on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women] welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2015 of the State party’s previous report in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the…Criminal Code, criminalizing...child marriage" (1-2).
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The Government continues to combat forms of child marriages. To this effect, the Married Persons Equality Act (Act No.1 of 1996) restricts the right to marry by age and consent. In other words, a child as defined under the Age of Majority Act (Act No. 57 of 1972) will not be allowed marriage unless emancipated to marry. In this regard the Married Persons Equality Act amended section 26 of the Marriage Act (Act No. 25 of 1961) and provides that 'no boy or girl under the age of 15 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage except with the written consent of the Minister'". (21). "Moreover, section 226...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 8:40 a.m.
Countries: Iraq
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"[There are l]egal exceptions to the minimum age for marriage, set at 18 years for women and men, in the Personal Status Act, which allow for the marriage of girls at the age of 15 years" (12).
Oct. 7, 2022, 4:17 p.m.
Countries: Portugal
Variables: AOM-LAW-1

"The minimum age for marriage is 18 for women and men, but both sexes may marry at 16 with the consent of both parents exercising parental authority, or a guardian, or, in default of the latter, a court decision" (16).