BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The country’s existing Islanders’ Marriage Act is inconsistent with two UN conventions that prohibit the marriage of children under 15 years of age.
Ellen Siale Kahui, Solomon Islands Endim Vaelens Agenstim Pikinin (SIEVAP) Project manager, said this when she presented the (SIEVAP) Make It 18 Report Friday last week in Honiara.
Solomon Islands is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The country ratified the CRC on April 10, 1995 and acceded to CEDAW on May 6, 2002.
Kahui said that the country’s legal context accepts child marriage with parental consent based on the current situational analysis in the country.
“There is no proof needed to verify the parties’ age. The law also recognises customary marriage and the importance of bride price. Plus, there is no requirement to register customary marriages,” she said.
“It should be noted that our country has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). With these inconsistencies in our law, our children are vulnerable to getting married at an early age,” she said.
She said that this is even more sad because the cultural and traditional practices, whereby early forced and arranged marriages are widely accepted.
“Economic hardships. Bride price also influences early marriage decisions. Limited education access. School dropouts. Not going to school increases child marriage risk, especially for girls. Legal gaps when it comes to the definition of a child,” said Ms Kahui.
She said that statistics also show that 21% of girls and 4% of boys are married before the age of 18, while 6% of girls are married before the age of 15.
She said that the government of Solomon Islands has ratified the CRC and CEDAW and so is legally obligated to implement legislative and policy measures to prevent child marriage.
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