Secure Perspectives (SP) strongly welcomes the Guatemalans congressional vote of November 5 which lead to the raise of the legal age for marriage to 18 for girls and to 16 for boys. Before this vote girls in Guatemala could legally get married at 14 and boys at 16. Human rights groups like UNICEF and Save the Children urged this change which was finally approved by 87 congressmen; 15 voted against the raise. According to UNICEF, Guatemala recorded about 4,000 marriages a year involving girls between the ages of 15 and 19. About 4,700 girls aged between 10 to 14 get pregnant every year. For statistics consult: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_statistics.html.
In fact, in Guatemala early marriage is most common among indigenous Mayan communities. This is one reason why SP believes in the education on sexual health and gender relations within its community development work in Belejú. The new law is definitely a major change in child protection and a first step was made that the legal foundation to ban child marriage is set. SP will eagerly continue to work towards awareness raising of children’s rights.
Further information on child marriage in general can be found at:
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/exposures-child-bride-mother-stephanie-sinclair.html?_r=0
http://www.cfr.org/peace-conflict-and-human-rights/child-marriage/p32096#!/?cid=otr_marketing_use-child_marriage_Infoguide#!%2F
In fact, in Guatemala early marriage is most common among indigenous Mayan communities. This is one reason why SP believes in the education on sexual health and gender relations within its community development work in Belejú. The new law is definitely a major change in child protection and a first step was made that the legal foundation to ban child marriage is set. SP will eagerly continue to work towards awareness raising of children’s rights.
Further information on child marriage in general can be found at:
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/exposures-child-bride-mother-stephanie-sinclair.html?_r=0
http://www.cfr.org/peace-conflict-and-human-rights/child-marriage/p32096#!/?cid=otr_marketing_use-child_marriage_Infoguide#!%2F
