Bangladesh has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world with 29% of girls married before age 15 and 2% of girls married before age 11. The root causes of child marriage include poverty, traditional values based on patriarchy, the financial burden of the dowry as it gets higher the older the girl becomes, and fear for the girl’s security.

Hon. Fazilatun Nasa Bappy, MP is actively working in her Parliament’s Standing Committee on Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and with the Subcommittee on Eliminating Child Marriage to push for comprehensive policy and legislation that increases the protections afforded to women and children. As a member of the Parliamentary Caucus on Children’s Right’s, Hon. Fazilatun has raised awareness about the impact of child marriage in hindering development and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. In Parliament, as well as in her constituency, she has encouraged discussions among different stakeholders to reject child marriage as a tradition.

In parallel to her efforts, the Government of Bangladesh has adopted several national policies addressing CEFM holistically, such as creating job opportunities, promoting free education and scholarship programs for girls, and ensuring that local administration offices correctly register births and marriages. Additionally, the government has organized social and cultural activities to strengthen girls’ self-esteem.

As a result of this collaboration between government, parliamentarians, civil society, religious leaders, and national and international organizations, the rate of child marriage has declined significantly in some Upzilas (sub-units of districts) in Bangladesh. This is a good starting point!

Morocco’s religious and patriarchal values permeate all of society, resulting in 16% of girls marrying before 18 as they are expected to conform to traditional roles of women.

The Family Code (Moudawana) - the law dealing with child marriage - stipulates the legal age of marriage as 18 for girls and boys (article 19). However, in its articles 20 and 21, the Code states that a judge, after hearing the parents or legal tutor of the minor and either a medical expert or a social enquiry, can authorize the marriage in a well-substantiated decision. The decree granting the petition to marry a minor cannot be appealed (article 20). Hon. Khadija Yamlahi, MP described these inconsistencies as nonsense.

In November 2010, the Socialist group introduced a bill to the Chamber of Counsels (Chambre des Conseillers, Second Chamber) to amend articles 20 and 21. In March 2011, the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) also presented a draft bill regarding articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Moudawana to ban child marriage. On November 13, 2012, parliamentarians, this time from the Justice and Development Party (Parti de la Justice et du Développement, PJD), introduced a draft bill to the Second Chamber to amend articles 20 and 21 to limit the cases for which a judge can allow the marriage of a minor and stating 16 as the minimum age at which a petition to marry could be granted. After an extensive debate, the Second Chamber arrived to a consensus establishing 16 as the minimum age of marriage.

After the vote on 23 January 2013, the draft bill was introduced to the Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Representants, First Chamber), where it is still unresolved given that progressive parties are pushing to have 18 as the minimum age of marriage without exceptions. In February 2013, several feminist organizations organized against the draft bills that allow 16 to be the minimum age of marriage. Hon. Yamlahi emphasized that one of the most serious consequences of child marriage, even at 16, is that it prevents girls from completing their secondary education and exposes them to domestic violence as well as to an early divorce.

“Government has to effectively implement articles 32 (legal and social protection of children) and 33 (on its responsibility for effectively protecting children) of the new Constitution as well as article 3 (on the best interest of the child criteria) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Morocco is a party,” concluded Ms. Yamlahi.

The review process of the Moudawana is often at the center of debate thanks to the tireless efforts of civil society who denounce violations to children’s rights. Hon. El Yamlahi is aware of the many challenges still prevailing in her country, but advises to fight each battle and slowly win terrain in areas where it is possible to advance.