The Guardian reports that after nearly two decades of activism, Colombia has officially outlawed child marriage, closing a longstanding legal loophole that allowed minors to wed with parental consent. Lawmakers passed the landmark bill, known as “They Are Girls, Not Wives,” on Wednesday, making Colombia one of just 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to fully ban marriage for individuals under 18.
The bill had faced years of opposition and multiple failed attempts. However, after a tense five-hour debate, the legislation was approved, marking a historic victory for child protection advocates. The new law ends a 137-year-old provision in Colombia’s civil code, which had permitted underage marriage with parental consent or after two years of cohabitation.
Jennifer Pedraza, a congresswoman and co-author of the bill, celebrated the vote as a major step for both Colombian children and the global fight for children’s rights. “For the first time, we have banned child marriage after trying eight times,” Pedraza said. “This is a great message not just for Colombia, but for the world.”
Colombia now joins countries like Honduras, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic in fully outlawing child marriage, which remains prevalent in parts of Latin America. According to UNICEF, around 4.5 million women and girls in Colombia were married before the age of 18, with one in four marrying as minors. Disturbingly, about one million of these girls were married before the age of 15.
The bill’s passage represents a significant legal shift, aligning Colombian law with international human rights standards, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Advocacy groups have long argued that child marriage is deeply rooted in poverty, patriarchal traditions, and power imbalances, with girls in rural or Indigenous communities particularly vulnerable.
Sandra Ramirez of the organization Equality Now praised the law as a crucial step in protecting the rights of girls and adolescents. “This reform is a vital step in guaranteeing the full protection of young people,” she said. “It aligns Colombia’s laws with international standards and ensures that girls are no longer treated as commodities.”
Child marriage, which often leads to early pregnancies, school dropouts, and domestic violence, has serious consequences for young girls. Senator María José Pizarro highlighted the devastating impact, noting that “These girls abandon their studies, their dreams, and their potential for the future.”
The bill also mandates the implementation of policies aimed at addressing the root causes of child marriage, such as poverty and gender inequality. While the passage of the law is a major victory, advocates stress that public policy and effective enforcement will be crucial in ensuring the law’s success and protecting the rights of Colombia’s most vulnerable.
Marta Royo, executive director of ‘Profamilia’, a reproductive health nonprofit, emphasized that the work is far from over. “We must ensure that girls’ voices are at the center of this change and that the law is effectively implemented to prevent future cases of child marriage,” she said.
This historic legislation marks a significant victory in the global fight against child marriage and a crucial step toward ensuring that all children can live free from exploitation and violence.
