By Sabiu Abdullahi
Sierra Leone’s parliament has approved a law that bans child marriage.
The new legislation criminalises marrying girls under 18 years old and imposes jail terms of up to 15 years for offenders.
This development has been hailed as a major win by activists, who have long advocated for an end to child marriage in the West African country.
According to UNICEF, one-third of girls in Sierra Leone are married before their 18th birthday, with 800,000 child brides, including 400,000 who were married before age 15.
Poverty often drives families to marry off their daughters to improve their financial situations or pay off debt, leading to many girls dropping out of school.
The new law aims to protect girls from this fate and ensure they have access to education and a chance at a brighter future.
“This law is a crucial step towards ending child marriage in Sierra Leone,” said a UNICEF representative. “It sends a strong message that the rights of children must be protected and that girls have the right to education, not marriage.”
The move has been welcomed by activists and human rights groups, who have long campaigned for an end to child marriage in Sierra Leone.
“This is a major victory for children’s rights in Sierra Leone,” said a local activist. “We commend the government for taking this important step and urge them to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the law.”
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