Sierra Leone Has Passed A Law To Ban Child Marriage
Sierra Leone has one of the world’s highest rates for child marriage, early pregnancy and maternal deaths, with one third of girls married before they are 18.
![Sierra Leone Has Passed A Law To Ban Child Marriage](/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/sierra-leone-child-marriage-banned-1.jpg)
Sierra Leone has passed a law to ban child marriage.
![Sierra leone bans child marriage](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/06/Sierra-leone-bans-child-marriage.jpg)
The country has one of the world’s highest rates for child marriage, early pregnancy and maternal deaths.
![child marriage banned in sierra leone](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/06/child-marriage-banned-in-sierra-leone.jpg)
One third of girls are married before they are 18, while another third give birth before they are 19, according to government data.
![child marriage illegal sierra leone](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/06/child-marriage-illegal-sierra-leone.jpg)
On Friday June 21, the parliament passed a law that will make it a crime to marry girls aged below 18.
![sierra leone child marriage](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/06/sierra-leone-child-marriage.jpg)
Under the law, people found guilty could be jailed for up to 15 years.
![](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/06/child-marriage-no-longer-legal-in-sierra-leone.jpg)
The legislation will now go to the president to be signed into law.
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