New York, NY July 19, 2019. - Parliamentarians for Global Action wishes to congratulate the National Assembly of Mozambique for voting unanimously, on July 15, to approve the law against unions of minors under the age of 18, without exceptions. The new law establishes fines and provides for up to 12 years in prison for adults who marry or live in unions with a person under the age of 18.
The President Filipe Niusi is expected to sanction it into law in the coming weeks.
According to UNICEF, Mozambique has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, affecting almost one in every two girls and has the second highest rate in the eastern and southern African sub region.
Target 5.3 on ending harmful practices, including child marriage by 2030, is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The international community will not reach eight of the 17 Goals without ending child marriage.
As an MP, I see this as a great advancement, our Parliament has approved the law criminalizing early unions. The instrument establishes a penalty of imprisonment for the parent who threatens, compels or intimidates the child to accept the union.
We saw hugs and smiles that symbolized the satisfaction of civil society organizations that have been waiting for more than two years for the approval of the Prevention and Fight against Early Unions Act.
The approval of this legal instrument comes at a time when Mozambique has one of the highest rates of early unions in the world - and because some unions are the result of family pressure, the law passed on July 15 provides for sanctions against parents and caregivers who force minors to unite in marriage.
The passage of this law is certainly a victory for all Mozambicans. Dep. Antonio Niquice (Mozambique)
Executive Committee Member, PGA
On March 13, 2019, in the sidelines of this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a delegation of seven Mozambican MPs, among them, Hon. Margarida Talapa, Chair of the Women Caucus, visited PGA’s offices to discuss their legislative agenda and exchange ideas on how to advance human rights. Hon. Talapa emphasized a bill to ban child marriages was being introduced and PGA offered to provide technical assistance in line with its Global Parliamentary Campaign against Child, Early and Forced Marriage.
PGA will continue working with its member-parliamentarians to encourage them to amend their legal framework to protect the rights of girls and ensure they are able to enjoy their lives free from the harm of child marriage.
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