Colombia’s Congress has approved a historic bill to raise the legal marriage age to 18, eliminating the previous provision that allowed minors as young as 14 to marry with parental consent. The bill, which must be signed into law by President Gustavo Petro, seeks to protect minors from forced marriages, violence, and missed educational opportunities.
The proposal, initially presented in 2023 under the slogan “They’re girls, not wives,” received strong support from lawmakers, particularly Congresswoman Clara López Obregón, who emphasized that minors should not be viewed as sexual objects. Colombia is now one of 12 Latin American countries to ban child marriage, following years of advocacy by rights groups.
Despite progress, child marriage remains widespread, affecting around 12 million girls annually, according to UNICEF. In Colombia, approximately 4.5 million girls and women married before 18, with one million marrying before 15. Poverty and a deeply ingrained patriarchal culture have been key drivers.
While the bill’s passage is a significant step, experts warn that effective implementation and addressing the root causes of child marriage, such as education and poverty, will be crucial to protecting young girls’ rights moving forward.
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