Child Marriage In Malaysia Article
Un condemns marriage of girl 15 and groom 44.
Child marriage in malaysia article. Table 10 sis press statements and articles on child marriage in malaysia table 11 cases of marriage as a consequence of rape reported by the media table 12 advocacy efforts by sis table 13 sis advocacy efforts list of organizations approached table 14 reservations on child marriage legal reform table 15 discussion highlights of sis public. This is in line with the convention on the rights of the child that malaysia has ratified. Unicef senior child protection specialist sarah norton staal said she felt encouraged by the prime minister s statement on raising the legal minimum age for marriage to 18. Existing evidence however indicates that child marriage is practised in muslim non muslim indigenous and refugee communities in malaysia.
Reports of marriage between a 11 year old girl and a man 30 years her senior sparked an uproar in malaysia on saturday reigniting debate on the subject of underage marriage in the muslim majority. The centre comprises various agencies such as the health social welfare and education departments and ngos. Malaysia needs to work together and unite forces with united nation organisations and civil societies to come up with concrete programmes to help to end child marriage. Statistics have shown that over 700 million women in the current era are married before reaching the legal age of 18.
Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to boys and men. Statistical infographic of child marriages in malaysia. Critics of child marriages have highlighted high profile cases such as where a 40 year old man married a 13 year old girl that he had raped and a man in his 20s marrying a girl he had raped at the age of 14 while others have raised the chain of problems linked to child marriages such as high risk pregnancies greater risk of maternal death and domestic violence as well as disrupted education. Child marriage strips girls off their right to a proper education and better opportunities.
Unicef s stand on child marriage is clear legal minimum age of marriage is at 18 without exception. Recently the issue of child marriage became a renewed topic of discussion after reports of a marriage between a 41 year old malaysian man and an 11 year old thai girl was solemnized in southern thailand. Hopefully siti zailah and rina harun who was appointed as kpwkm minister will continue with the efforts and initiatives of their predecessors in fighting for women s and children s rights in malaysia. Unite against child marriage.
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