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SA still has a long way to go to provide girls with the protection they need from predatory men. The archaic Marriage Act of 1965 still permits the marriage of girls as young as 15, a shameful situation that is at odds with the African Charter on the Rights of the Child treaty, to which SA is a signatory.
Former first lady of SA and Mozambique Graça Machel joined former US first lady Michelle Obama, philanthropist Melinda French Gates and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in Cape Town last week to draw attention to the harm wrought by child marriage. It stymies girls’ opportunities for education, jobs, and a path out of poverty. And pregnancy at a young age poses serious health risks to both the girl and her infant.
Official figures underrepresent the scale of child marriage in SA as many of these unions are not registered with the department of home affairs. The limited records held by Stats SA nevertheless tell a disturbing tale: in 2021, a 15-year-old girl married a 53-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl married a 62-year-old man. Let’s face it: these appear to be marriages that satisfy the desires of older men and crush the dreams of young girls.
The department of home affairs is rightly seeking to criminalise marriage under the age of 18, in measures contained in the draft Marriage Bill. However, the legislation has yet to be considered by parliament: it needs to do so as a matter of urgency.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
EDITORIAL: Away with child marriages
Only an adult can consent to marriage
SA still has a long way to go to provide girls with the protection they need from predatory men. The archaic Marriage Act of 1965 still permits the marriage of girls as young as 15, a shameful situation that is at odds with the African Charter on the Rights of the Child treaty, to which SA is a signatory.
Former first lady of SA and Mozambique Graça Machel joined former US first lady Michelle Obama, philanthropist Melinda French Gates and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in Cape Town last week to draw attention to the harm wrought by child marriage. It stymies girls’ opportunities for education, jobs, and a path out of poverty. And pregnancy at a young age poses serious health risks to both the girl and her infant.
Official figures underrepresent the scale of child marriage in SA as many of these unions are not registered with the department of home affairs. The limited records held by Stats SA nevertheless tell a disturbing tale: in 2021, a 15-year-old girl married a 53-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl married a 62-year-old man. Let’s face it: these appear to be marriages that satisfy the desires of older men and crush the dreams of young girls.
The department of home affairs is rightly seeking to criminalise marriage under the age of 18, in measures contained in the draft Marriage Bill. However, the legislation has yet to be considered by parliament: it needs to do so as a matter of urgency.
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