Sierra Leone’s Parliament has handed a landmark invoice criminalizing baby marriage, marking a big win for activists in a area that’s extremely infamous for the follow. The invoice, which imposes as much as 15 years in jail or hefty fines for offenders, awaits President Julius Maada Bio’s signature to develop into legislation. In response to a 2019 UNICEF report, the West African nation has 800,000 baby brides, half of whom married earlier than age 15. With the invoice, the nation’s leaders will probably be hoping they’ll put an finish to the follow and safeguard the way forward for their ladies. Sierra Leone’s transfer is constructive information, particularly since a current UNICEF report estimated it can take about 300 years to eradicate baby marriage. Whereas the follow has seen regular international decline in current instances, it’s nonetheless very prevalent in West and Central Africa.
SOURCE: SEMAFOR