BISSAU, May 26 (AGCNewsNet) – In a bold move to curb the longstanding issue of child marriage, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau has proposed raising the legal minimum age for marriage to 25. Addressing a public rally in Guiledje, in the southern part of the country, Embaló emphasized the importance of education and condemned child marriage as a form of abuse.

“Marriage is only accepted in Guinea-Bissau from the age of 25. Anyone who marries before then we will say is a paedophile,” the president declared to the crowd. His proposal, if enacted, would apply equally to men and women, though he noted that young girls are disproportionately affected by the practice.

The country’s current civil code permits marriage at age 16 with parental consent, but many girls in rural communities are married off as early as 13. According to UNICEF’s Child Marriage Data Portal, one in four young women in Guinea-Bissau is married before age 18, with nearly a third of those unions occurring before age 15.

The president’s announcement follows renewed concern from international agencies that progress on ending child marriage may have stalled or reversed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Economic instability and school closures, experts warn, may have increased the vulnerability of young girls to early marriage.

Embaló stressed that children belong in classrooms, not marriages, and highlighted the importance of education as a safeguard. “I ask the young people and elders of this area to stop the early marriage of girls… who must study,” he urged.

Statistics support the president’s call. Girls with no formal education are more than 45 times more likely to be married as children than those with secondary or higher education. Rates of child marriage in rural areas (36.1%) are also more than triple those in urban regions (11.4%).

In his speech, Embaló announced additional steps his administration is taking to promote education and economic development. With support from Japan, more schools will be constructed in the country’s south, accompanied by expanded school meal programmes aimed at encouraging school attendance. He also unveiled plans for new roads and water wells to boost local infrastructure and reduce poverty, a key driver of child marriage.

Girls Not Brides, a global NGO working to end child marriage, welcomed the president’s emphasis on education. “Education is one of the most powerful tools to end child marriage and ensure girls can fulfil their potential,” the organisation said in a recent statement.

Experts say improving girls’ access to education yields long-term economic and social benefits. According to the World Bank, one additional year of schooling can increase a woman’s earnings by up to 20%, and failure to educate girls costs countries more than US$1 billion annually in lost economic opportunity.

While the proposed legal reforms will require legislative backing, Embaló’s firm stance signals a new direction in the fight against child marriage in Guinea-Bissau. If successful, the initiative could help break the intergenerational cycle of early marriage and create new opportunities for girls across the country.

Stay connected with AGC Newsnet for more news from Africa

Source: Macao News