Sierra Leone has made a groundbreaking move by passing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024, aimed at outlawing child marriage.
This significant legislation comes after extensive campaigning by girls throughout the nation and the efforts of Save the Children to criminalize this pervasive practice.
The newly enacted bill prohibits the marriage or union of any individual under the age of 18.
It sets forth strict penalties for violators, safeguards the rights of victims, and ensures that affected young girls have access to education and support services.
Sierra Leone is grappling with alarmingly high rates of child marriage, early pregnancies, and maternal mortality.
According to the Ministry of Health, approximately one-third of girls are married before turning 18, and another third become mothers before the age of 19.
Earlier in 2024, Kuji, a 19-year-old advocate working with Save the Children, shared her experience with the organization.
She successfully intervened to prevent her 15-year-old cousin, Kpemeh, from being married off, enabling her to return to school.
Inspired by this success, Kpemeh also became a Save the Children champion and joined her cousin in a campaign that convinced all the chiefs in their district in eastern Sierra Leone to renounce child marriage.
Kpemeh stated, “Those of us who are under 18 should steer clear of early marriage. Whenever I share this message, people listen and abandon such practices.”
The Country Director for Save the Children in Sierra Leone, Patrick Analo, remarked, “This is a historic moment and an extraordinary achievement for children across Sierra Leone who have campaigned for their rights.
“Girls who are married young are not only robbed of their childhoods – they are robbed of their futures. They experience lifelong harm to their physical and mental health; are barred from opportunities to learn, grow, play and develop; shut out from future educational and economic opportunities that also impact their families and communities.
“Children have now stood up and said: ‘Give us our futures back.’ And thanks to them, this will be a new reality for nearly four million children across Sierra Leone.”
In addition to training child marriage champions throughout the country, Save the Children has collaborated with First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio, the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and various other organizations to combat child marriage.
The Office of the First Lady emphasized that the Bill will tackle enforcement challenges by setting penalties for infractions and calling on community leaders to actively support its implementation.
By fortifying existing laws and improving their enforcement, the bill aims to create a more protective environment for children, particularly girls.
Since its establishment in Sierra Leone in 1999, Save the Children has shifted its focus from family reunification during the war to advocating for children’s rights, protection, education, and health.
