After an unwavering 17-year campaign by advocates, Colombian lawmakers have at last addressed a legislative loophole, officially banning the marriage of minors. This announcement, which protects those under 18, was met with applause and celebrations in the Colombian legislative chambers. With this action, Colombia joins the ranks as the 12th country in Latin America and the Caribbean to impose a comprehensive prohibition on child marriage.
A century-old legal loophole allowed child marriages
For more than a century, Colombia’s civil code featured a loophole that allowed individuals under 18 to marry with parental consent. Additionally, minors living with an adult for two years were classified as being in common-law marriages.
According to UNICEF, around 4.5 million girls in Colombia have entered into marriage with adult partners, representing one in four girls marrying before reaching 18. Alarmingly, 1 million of these girls were married before the age of 15, a trend that has raised serious concerns among advocates for children’s and women’s rights in Colombia.
“We do not want to keep witnessing the systematic violence and sexual exploitation of children. Colombia is making history because, for the first time, we have successfully banned child marriage after eight attempts,” said Jennifer Pedraza, a congresswoman from the Dignity and Commitment Party and co-author of the bill, as reported by The Guardian. “This sends a strong message not only about the respect for children’s rights in Colombia but also for the world at large. Colombian childhood matters; we must protect it and promote its well-being.”
Culturally, this unfolds during a time of increased sexualization of girls in Colombian pop culture
Recently, a collaboration among Colombian artists, including Blessd, Ryan Castro, J Balvin, and Karol G, titled “+57”—the country code for Colombian telephone numbers—sparked controversy for a line that sexualized a woman described as a “Mamacita since she was 14.”
This song faced backlash from fans and advocacy groups in Colombia who oppose the sexualization of minors. While Karol G issued an apology for the implications of the lyrics, Blessd, Ryan Castro, and J Balvin defended the song against the criticisms it received.
Child marriages remain legal in some U.S. states
According to data from Unchained at Last, 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico have instituted full bans on child marriage. Ten states allow children to marry at 17, 20 permit marriage at 16, and Kansas allows marriage at 15. Furthermore, California, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and New Mexico do not enforce a minimum marriage age.
The presence of child marriage laws that still permit minors to wed with parental consent is alarming. Child marriages continue to occur globally at high rates, even though 96 percent of countries have set minimum age requirements. Yet, Pew Research Center indicates that many countries often overlook these age restrictions.
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