By Sulaiman Jalloh
Parliament has, on Thursday 20, June 2024, on Tower Hill in Freetown, unanimously passed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024.
The Bill, which seeks to criminalize the act of marrying or entering into a union with a child under the age of 18 years, was received with great enthusiasm and supported by Members of Parliament from both sides of the aisle, considering the fact that enacting the Bill will yield dividends as it plays into the hands of young people, especially girls who have, over the years, been victimized.
The Bill also addresses enforcement challenges by establishing penalties for violations and calling upon community leaders to actively support its implementation. By strengthening existing laws and enhancing their enforcement, the Bill seeks to create a more protective environment for children, particularly girls.
The enacted law also includes provisions for enforcing penalties on offenders, protecting victims’ right, and ensuring access to education and support services for young girls affected by early child marriage. The said law also provides punishment for individuals that aid and abet the act of child marriage with a fine of not less than fifty thousand new Leones (Le 50,000) or term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) years or both. The Act also makes provision for the annulment of all child marriages that had been in existence before the enactment of the new law.
Tabling the Bill, Hon. Mariama Munia Zombo of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) representing the people of Pujehun District said Sierra Leone is ranked as the 19th in the world for early child marriage prevalence. According to her, this statistic highlights the urgent need for interventions to protect young girls from the negative consequences of early marriage, including early pregnancies, complications during childbirth, and curtailed education and opportunities.
It could be recalled that on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Hon. Zombo moved a private Member’s Bill on anti-child marriage and subsequently got approval from the Speaker of Parliament. Standing Order (SO) 48.1 of Parliament paves way for members to move a private member motion and that has resulted to successful passing into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024.
The leader of the opposition, All Peoples Congress (APC) Hon. Abdul Kargbo, in his submission, urged MPs to embrace the Bill and work tirelessly to popularize it among the wider community and stressed the need for a collective effort to ensure the effective implementation and protection of girls’ rights at all levels, noting that customary law should not contravene human rights law, signalling the significance of aligning traditional practices with international human rights standards. He further emphasised the importance of women uniting to advocate for enacting more laws in Parliament geared to protecting the rights and welfare of children in Sierra Leone.
On his part, leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew S. Nyumah, acknowledged the long-awaited need for a Bill that aids in protecting the welfare of children, particularly highlighting the impact this would have on women and their children.
The opposition whip 2, who doubles as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children Affairs, Hon. Cathrine Zainab Tarawallie, commended the piloter of the Bill, Hon. Mariama Zombo, for putting together what she described as ‘a crucial Bill concerning the protection of the girl child,’ stressing the importance of the Bill in safeguarding children from all forms of violence and discrimination, emphasizing the need for children to move freely without fear, and making reasonable decisions that affect their lives. The lawmaker further lavished praises on First Lady, Fatima Bio for championing the campaign for girl’s rights and protection. Commitment to improving the welfare of children, she went on, was underscored by the country being a member of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and CEDAW.
The Chief Whip of the opposition, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, noted the responsibility of women in society, emphasizing the potential benefits of the Bill in securing a better future for the children, whom he referred to as, ‘leaders of tomorrow.’
On his part, Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas pledges his support to the implementation of the law, while reiterating the importance of the Bill in safeguarding girls right and ensuring their access to education, healthcare, and brighter future.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 24th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
