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

Latest items for AOM-PRACTICE-1

Oct. 9, 2024, 7:59 p.m.
Countries: Belize
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1, AOM-DATA-2

"Early marriage and union remain a concern, with as much as one-third of women aged 20–24 years reporting being married or in a union before reaching age 18" (4).
July 19, 2024, 9:09 p.m.
Countries: Sierra Leone
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

“Sierra Leone made history when the president signed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024. For a country with one of the highest rates of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality in the world, it is a crucial step forward, and a hard-won achievement for campaigners in west Africa” (1). “Sierra Leone has 800,000 child brides – and of those more than half were married before the age of 15, so there is no question that this is groundbreaking legislation” (2).
July 18, 2024, 6:38 p.m.
Countries: Guatemala
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"In cases of undeclared de facto unions entered into by children and adolescents, courts specializing in children and adolescents stipulate the measures necessary to ensure best interests, monitor compliance with those measures and certify cases of non-compliance before the Public Prosecution Service for investigation. With regard to specialized training, the judiciary has provided training on child marriage for more than 380 justices of the peace and first instance judges, 150 members of technical teams and more than 300 judicial support personnel in order to assist them in their consideration of Civil Code reform. The National Registry of Persons helps to reduce the underregistration of marriages by raising awareness of the...more
March 30, 2024, 2:46 p.m.
Countries: Lithuania
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"[The State party] does not intend to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years of age, without exception" (14).
Feb. 20, 2024, 6:27 p.m.
Countries: D R Congo
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"[U]nder article 407 of the [The revised Family Code], penal sanctions are provided for adult persons involved in child marriage… Child marriage persists, in particular in rural areas, and persons involved in facilitating child marriages or persons married to children are not being prosecuted or sanctioned, despite article 407 of the Code" (17). "[P]ersons who are engaged in facilitating child marriages or adults married to children [are not sanctioned and persecuted]" (17).
Jan. 16, 2024, 6:33 p.m.
Countries: Botswana
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"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 marriages" (37) This indicates that Botswana does have a problem with child marriage (VMH-CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 4, 2024, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"Muslim marriages involving minors under 18 years of age are only allowed under exceptional circumstances with the approval of the Kadi, and with the consent of the minor’s parents/legal guardian" (43).
Sept. 30, 2023, 4 p.m.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee commends the State party for favouring the involvement of fathers in childcare, including through the promotion of paternity leave. However, it is concerned about the following: Despite being prohibited by law, child and/or forced marriage is prevalent in the State party and is viewed with a high degree of social tolerance" (p.7)
Sept. 22, 2023, 8:51 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The government did not enforce this restriction effectively, and the traditional age of marriage in lower income groups coincided with the onset of puberty" (20).
Aug. 24, 2023, 1:08 a.m.
Countries: Cape Verde
Variables: MARR-PRACTICE-4, AOM-PRACTICE-1

"[T]he harmful practice of early de facto unions, which amount to child marriage, affecting girls as young as 12 years of age [is a concern]" (5). "[G]irls under 18 years of age sometimes live in de facto unions, which is similar to child marriage... [T]he Civil Code recognizes de facto unions of persons older than 19 years of age who have lived together for at least three years, which in practice legitimizes de facto unions for children as young as 16 years of age" (14).
Aug. 15, 2023, 6:17 a.m.
Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee appreciates the efforts made by the State party to amend discriminatory provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Marriage Act (CEDAW/C/CIV/4, para. 30). The Committee nevertheless notes with concern that: (c) The high prevalence of child marriage in the State party and the lack of implementation of the national action plan on child marriage" (14). "The Committee recalls its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/CIV/CO/1-3, para. 43 (a)–(c)), as well as its general recommendation No. 21 (1994) on equality in marriage and family relations, and recommends that the State party: (c) Allocate sufficient resources to implement measures to prevent child marriage and to protect victims" (14-15).more
Aug. 9, 2023, 1:01 p.m.
Countries: Eritrea
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee reiterates its concern about the prevalence of child marriage in the State party and also notes with concern...The practice of allowing polygamous marriages and the discriminatory application of religious laws on divorce and inheritance within Muslim communities, to the detriment of women" (14).
Aug. 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"[N]otwithstanding the provisions of the Family Code, in which 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, child marriage and cohabitation with children remain prevalent among the Roma population" (13).
Aug. 8, 2023, 12:20 p.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The following steps have been taken under the support programme for female education and women’s empowerment for inclusive local development phase (PAEF-Plus), which complements the Framework and is carried out in 149 schools, including 27 high and middle schools: Promotion of awareness-raising campaigns on reducing the burden of domestic work, gender-based violence, and early marriages and pregnancies through the implementation of a national and community-level communication plan..." (7). "Measures to prevent early pregnancies include: Awareness-raising in order to prevent child marriages; Behaviour change communication for adolescents and young people; Improved access to reproductive health services" (10). "The youth sector has carried out information and awareness-raising activities at adolescent counselling centres...more
July 21, 2023, 11:58 a.m.
Countries: Azerbaijan
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"In the framework of the campaign of A Letter to the Family during the years of 2014–2018, over 100,000 letters promoting the prevention of early marriages are distributed in districts where 11 Child and Family Supporting Centers are located. It has also helped to prevent 32 cases of 38 early marriages... 41 cases of early marriage were prevented in the framework of measures undertaken by the Children and Family Support Centers under [, the Society of Women for Rational Development] and located in 11 districts jointly with monitoring groups for gender based violence and violence against children" (35).
July 10, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Maldives
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The negative impact of gender norms on both girls and boys persists. Conservative factions continue to push back on the gender equality gains made, and through the use of social media, may at times incorrectly 'interpret' Maldivian culture and Islamic principles in a manner which hinders the advancement of women and girls’ rights, and at times specifically endorses practices such as early marriage. The Government is committed to make necessary changes in policy, conduct programs and raise awareness on eliminating traditional gender stereotyping and bias at all fronts." (8). "With the legal age of marriage (18 years) now being enforced by the Supreme Court of Maldives, and as sexual relations...more
June 14, 2023, 7:56 p.m.
Countries: Bolivia
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"[A]dolescent 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).
June 12, 2023, 7:14 p.m.
Countries: Oman
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"According to newspapers in Oman, where the government tightly controls media and public dissent, Omanis previously had to fulfil certain conditions, such as being over a certain age, to marry a foreigner. Unauthorised marriages drew fines" (Para.3).
May 19, 2023, 2:31 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"Over the past years, several ladies have recounted their gory experiences and how they were married off to settle the debts of their parents. Some girls were sold off as child brides to elderly men, in exchange for livestock such as goats and pigs, or farm products." (Para.4). "While many of the affected girls as young as age 4 got married to men old enough to be their grandfathers, others were forcefully raped by their new husbands and got pregnant before becoming teenagers" (Para.5). "Another lady, Faith Ikpe, told a story of how her parents sold her to a man old enough to be her father while she was still...more
May 12, 2023, 11:26 a.m.
Countries: Albania
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1, AFE-PRACTICE-1

"'A moment I always remember when I was in sixth grade of primary school. A friend of mine was in the ninth grade and she was getting engaged. She was only 14,' she recalls. 'She told me that her husband would not permit her to continue her studies and that she needed to listen to her husband, stay with him and obey him.' " (Para.19-20).
April 28, 2023, 9:47 p.m.
Countries: Tanzania
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"In Tanzania, where the law allows girls to be married at 15 (and in some cases 14) years of age, one in three girls marries before her 18th birthday" (3). "Despite the efforts undertaken by multinational organisations, the national government and non-governmental organisations, Tanzania still ranks as one of the countries with a very high rate of child marriage" (8).
April 1, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Uzbekistan
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"In 2017...one case (10 persons) under article 1251 (violation of the law on marriageable age)…"(34).
March 31, 2023, 2:31 p.m.
Countries: Egypt
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"Act No. 126 of 2008 on the minimum age of marriage for women and men [is not effectively implemented], particularly in cases of child and forced marriage… [P]enalties on ma’zoun as perpetrators for contracting such marriages or failing to report them [are not imposed]" (7).
March 8, 2023, 1:43 p.m.
Countries: Montenegro
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"In 2017, in order to enhance the protection of children from violence, the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) was supported by UNICEF to adopt the Guidelines for the actions of competent institutions in cases of recognition and prosecution of child marriages and extramarital unions, with clearly defined operational procedures" (9). "According to the CRI, the competent authorities initiated proceedings against parents who arranged early child marriages only in cases where the perpetrators in the proceedings admitted committing this criminal offense, that is when they admitted that they had received money for concluding a child contracted marriage. The reason behind this practice is reflected in the lack of legal grounds for...more
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"Due to legal, policy and programmatic interventions against child marriage and other harmful traditional practices against girl child, the practice of child marriage has been gradually decreasing. One such initiative is that nearly 1,000 village level committees are active in 59 districts along with vigilance committees at ward level to support girls and families having threats of child marriage, resolve the issues in the community or refer them to district level enforcement authorities. 75 new positions (22 Child Protection Officers and 53 Child Protection Inspectors) have been created and deployed in all 75 districts for protecting children from all forms of harmful traditional practices." (7). "Positive activism manifested by the...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:28 a.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"Chad has world’s highest child marriage rate. Critics say the law will be used to penalise under-age girls who are frequently forced into marriage with older men in the central African country" (Para.6). "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).more
Feb. 6, 2023, 12:07 p.m.
Countries: Kyrgyzstan
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee [on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women] notes with concern...[t]hat the prevalence of...child marriage...remains high, especially in rural areas, despite [its] criminialization under articles 175, 177, and 178 of the Criminal Code" (16).
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare conducted a study on child marriage in Namibia. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent and nature of the state of child marriages in Namibia and to inform the relevant authorities to make informed decisions. The state party through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in all 14 regions continues to carry out awareness on the impact of negative cultural practices as well as to encourage community members to report cases of child marriage." (12). "These marital age restrictions serve as a safeguard against early child marriages which may have a detrimental...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 9:59 p.m.
Countries: Mozambique
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, AOM-PRACTICE-1, NGOFW-DATA-2

"Since 2019, the Spotlight Initiative, a global initiative of the United Nations funded by the European Union, has been supporting the approval and implementation of Mozambican laws that protect women and girls from gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as early marriages" (para 5).
Jan. 6, 2023, 5:48 p.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: AOM-PRACTICE-1

"A child bride who killed the man she was forced to marry when she was 15 is among three women executed in Iran for murdering their husbands this week" (para 1).