Sierra Leone child marriage ban hailed by child-focused entities as a significant milestone for children
FREETOWN (July 5, 2024) -- Sierra Leone has achieved a significant milestone by passing a groundbreaking bill into law to prohibit child marriage. This marks a momentous victory for the children of Sierra Leone, as the Parliament has enacted legislation to criminalise this prevalent practice. The bill was ratified by Parliament on June 20, 2024, and subsequently signed into law by the President on July 2, 2024. The initiative to end child marriage gained momentum as children throughout the country, in collaboration with various alliances, united in a campaign against this harmful tradition. World Vision played an integral role in this process, actively supporting the campaign from its inception until the bill was successfully enacted into law.
World Vision partnered with children’s clubs, child welfare committees, the Office of the First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, duty bearers, the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, community stakeholders, the Child Rights Coalition, and other organisations to collaborate on a campaign with the goal of ending child marriage in Sierra Leone. Together, we collaborated on the following engagements:
National Level Involvement: World Vision was part of the Technical working group and actively participated in the Technical Working Group responsible for reviewing and validating the child marriage bill.
Community Engagement: At the community level, World Vision conducted four stakeholders and children engagement sessions through focus group discussions to gather opinions on the bill. The feedback from these discussions indicated overwhelming acceptance of the bill by the stakeholders and children involved.
Parliamentary Involvement: World Vision played a crucial role in supporting the team in parliament to facilitate the hearing and eventual enactment of the child marriage bill into law on July 20, 2024.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of child marriage, early pregnancy, and maternal mortality in the world. Approximately one-third of girls in Sierra Leone are married before the age of 18, and another third give birth before turning 19, according to the Ministry of Health. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 aims to prevent child marriage, protect victims of child marriage, and address related issues. Sections two (2) and three (3) of the Act outline the prohibition of child marriage stated as:
Prohibition of child marriage
Prohibition on giving consent to child marriage
Use of force or ill-treatment of a child
Officiating a child marriage
Promoting a child marriage
Attending a child marriage
Attempted child marriage
Conspiracy to cause child marriage
Aiding and abetting child marriage
The provision also includes enforcing penalties on offenders, protecting survivors’ rights, and ensuring access to education and others social services for young girls affected by early child marriage.
Child marriage has been a significant issue in Sierra Leone, driven by deeply entrenched cultural and socio-economic factors. According to the DHS 2023 report, 39% of girls in Sierra Leone are married before their 18th birthday, with 13% married before they turn 15. These statistics represent the real lives of girls who are denied their childhoods, education, and opportunities for a better future. Under the law, any man who marries a girl under the age of 18 could face at least 15 years in prison and a fine of around $4,000.
Collective Effort
The journey to passing this bill was challenging and required the collaboration of various stakeholders, including civil society organisations, government agencies, and international partners. The First Lady of Sierra Leone, civil society organizations like the Child Rights Coalition, line ministries, and the Children’s Forum Network all played pivotal roles. World Vision made significant contributions by conducting several focus group discussions, raising awareness on child marriage, influencing policy, mobilizing resources, and advocating for policy change.
Next Steps
The implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act is as crucial as its enactment. It is essential to ensure that the law is enforced and widely promoted, which should be accompanied by collaborative efforts with local leaders, civil society organisations, children, etc. and the allocation of resources for effective implementation.
Our Hope and Aspiration
Our hope and aspiration are that this new legislation will provide enhanced protection for girls in Sierra Leone, aim to disrupt the cycle of early marriage and mitigate its profound consequences so that girls will achieve their fullest potential.
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About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit wvi.org/sierra-leone or follow on X, formerly known as Twitter, @WVSierraLeone.