Sierra Leone: Law against child marriage promulgated

A bill banning child marriage in Sierra Leone has been signed into law, President Julius Maada Bio said late Tuesday, in a bid to protect young girls in the West African country where about a third of children are married before adulthood.

The law has been well received. It criminalizes the marriage of any girl under the age of 18. Violators face up to 15 years in prison or a fine of about $4,000, or both. Witnesses to such marriages also face a prison sentence or a fine.

“I have always believed that the future of Sierra Leone is female ,” Ms Bio said on social media platform X. “This generation of girls and future generations must thrive in a Sierra Leone where they are protected, equal and empowered . ”

Sierra Leone has 800,000 married girls, half of them before the age of 15, according to the UN children's agency. First Lady Fatima Bio was a key advocate for the law, which also provides better access to education and support services for children affected by marriage.

When it was passed by parliament in June, she called it "a significant step forward in protecting the rights of our next generation" .