THE Philippines has made child marriage illegal from today, following the implementation of a law that bans the practice in a nation where one in six girls enters wedlock before the age of 18.

The impoverished country has the 12th highest number of child marriages in the world, according to Britain-based rights group Plan International, with long-held cultural practices and gender inequalities hindering change.

The new law – signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and released to the public today – lays out prison sentences of up to 12 years for marrying or cohabiting with anyone under 18.

People arranging or solemnising underage unions also face the same penalty.

“The state… views child marriage as a practice constituting child abuse because it debases, degrades and demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of children,” stated the law.

The government said the law is consistent with international conventions on the rights of women and children.

However, some portions of the legislation have been suspended for one year to allow for a transition period for Muslims and indigenous communities, in which child marriage is relatively common.

A United Nations Children’s Fund report last year said more than half a billion girls and women worldwide were married in childhood, with the highest rates found in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

But recent data indicates the practice is generally in decline on average across the globe. – AFP, January 6, 2022.