Sierra Leone's parliament passed a law on Saturday banning child marriages. In 2017, the West African country had 800,000 married girls, including 400,000 before the age of 15, according to UNICEF.
The United Nations also specifies that in Sierra Leone, a third of girls are married before turning 18.
These early unions are the cause of school dropouts, premature pregnancies, in short, the deprivation of childhood and de facto the future for girls.
But that was before. From now on, the perpetrators of these unions face penalties of at least 15 years in prison and a fine of around $2,000.
This legislative shield was welcomed by the Save The Children Organization. She sees it as a “historic” step that could change the lives of thousands of children.
The new law yet to be promulgated by President Julius Mada bio.
Congratulations!
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