Mozambique moves to outlaw child marriages

Mozambique's Parliament has voted unanimously to criminalise child marriage. Under the Bill, drawn up by the Social Affairs Commission, any adult who marries or engages in sexual activity with a child under the age of 18 will be imprisoned for between eight and 12 years. The Bill eliminates a clause in the Mozambican Family Law, which allowed children to marry from the age of 16 with parental consent. A report on the allAfrica site notes that proponents of the Bill pointed out that since 1990 Mozambique has been a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Bill now goes back to committee for possible amendments. The second and final reading of the Bill in the Assembly plenary will take place this month.