The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called on governments to ensure that legislation is in place to fight child marriages as well as institute evidence-based, girl-centred investments that empower girls with information, and skills they need to be healthy, educated and safe.

According to UNFPA, Rwanda is one of the countries in the region showing significant decreases in the prevalence rate of child marriages, although there is still need to raise awareness to help young girls access information on their rights.

"While child marriages are not a prevalent phenomenon in Rwanda, the UNFPA commends the Government of Rwanda for the important strides made in legislation and expansion of services and information to adolescents,’’ Daniel Alemu the acting UNFPA representative said.

He added: The UNFPA encourages the government to continue consolidating the gains made in expanding access to sexual and reproductive health youth friendly services, and comprehensive sexuality education and information, to ensure adolescent girls are well informed of their rights and have continued access to critical health services.”

In the next decade 14.2 million girls under the age of 18 will be married every year worldwide, translating to 39,000 girls married each day, a report by UNFPA says. While child marriages are declining among girls under age 15, 50 million girls could still be at risk of being married before their 15th birthday in this decade, it indicates.

The Rwandan Constitution provides that every child is entitled to special measures of protection by their family, society and the State that are necessary, depending on their status, under national and international law. The Organic Law relating to matrimonial regimes, liberalities and successions recognises the right of a girl to succession of her family property while the family code provides for consent as one of the requirements for the validity of marriage, which can be contracted only at 21 complete years of age. Rwanda has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Children.

Announcing this year’s ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ from November 25 to December 10, this week, the UNFPA said that each day one girl who took a stand against violence and child marriage will share her story.

In the spirit of ending child marriage, the African Union organised the first ever African Girl’s Summit in Lusaka, Zambia from November 26-27.

Commenting on the timeliness of the summit, Lakshmi Sundaram, Executive Director of ‘Girls Not Brides’, an NGO fighting to eradicate child marriage, noted that the future of Africa’s girls and the prosperity of the continent are at stake if adequate laws are not fully enforced.

"The continent has some of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Unless African governments provide resources and services to support girls at risk, work with families and communities, put in place and enforce adequate policies and laws, child marriage will double by 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa will become the region with the highest number of child brides in the world.” she said

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