Colombia says goodbye to children's marriages - a milestone for children's rights!

Colombia says goodbye to children's marriages - a milestone for children's rights!

Kolumbien - A historical law was passed in Colombia that prohibits children's marriage and early freight. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have agreed to this law, which now only needs the signature of President Gustavo Petro to come into force. This ends a more than a century of practice that allowed minors under the age of 14 to marry with the consent of the parents. As the online forum amerika21.de , progress was celebrated with the slogan #sonniñasnoesposas (you are girls, no wife). Senator Clara López from the ruling "Historical Pact" and the independent MP Jennifer Pedraza and Alexandra Vásquez were significantly involved in this success.

Early marriage often affects children who are barely over ten years old, which represents a worrying reality. Marta Royo, Managing Director of Profamilia, emphasized that many children lose a large part of their development through such practices, as they are pushed into roles, for which they are neither physically nor psychologically ready. These marriages, usually closed between an adult man and a minor girl, reinforce the "circulation of poverty" and often lead to school abortion and premature pregnancies, as Unicef warns. This draft law pursues the goal of protecting the rights of thousands of children and adolescents and promoting the necessary information about sexual and reproductive rights.

fight against outdated traditions

Since 2007 there have been a total of nine failed attempts to enforce the ban on children's marriages, which underlines the significant achievement of this new legislative initiative. The Petro government has determined this as part of its national development plan "Colombia - World Power for Life". In Argentina, the marriage age is 14 years with judicial approval, while in other parts of South America the minimum age varies between 16 and 18. The adoption of this law could be seen as a step into a more advanced future in which the rights of children and adolescents are strengthened.