END CHILD MARRIAGE | Groups urge Duterte to sign into law a measure criminalizing child marriages

October 11, 2021 , 08:53 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(October 11, 2021) – Commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child, government agencies and rights advocates on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to sign into law a measure prohibiting child marriage in the Philippines.

#GirlDefenders, an alliance of around 200 government agencies, lawmakers, civil society groups and children’s organizations gathered in an online solidarity event to put a stop to child marriages in the country, which has the world’s 10th most number of child marriages.

“Clearly, the bill is a huge win for women and girls’ rights and its enactment will ensure their protection form the ill effects of child marriage,” Malou Acosta-Alba, who chairs the House committee on Women and Gender Equality, said in a statement.

A bill that will criminalize child marriage in the Philippines has been approved by both houses of the Congress in a bicameral conference on September 27, and is now awaiting the president’s signature.

Once it is enacted into law, child marriages will be regarded as a public crime, and its perpetrators will be imprisoned for 8-10 years and fined for no less than P40,000.

This measure was put into place to address its rising prevalence in the Philippines, where one in six Filipino girls get married before the age of 18. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) last March warned that the social and economic pressures caused by the pandemic have worsened the issue.

“[I thank lawmakers for] their commitment and political will to end child marriage by championing and ushering the passage of the bill prohibiting this practice, fully aware of the sensitive nature of the proposed policy which may antagonize conservative groups,” said Rom Dongeto, who leads the #GirlDefenders alliance.

Formed in 2017, the alliance is led by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) to specifically campaign for the bill. It has facilitated consultations with affected communities, held campaign events and dialogues with legislators, government agencies, and civil society organizations on the matter.

“Regional and local efforts and advocacy work to end child marriage show the need for holistic programs especially on the ground to help communities veer away from this harmful practice,” said Lot Felizco, country director of nonprofit group Oxfam.

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