MANILA: Child marriage became illegal in the Philippines on Thursday as a law banning the practice took effect in a country where one in six girls enters wedlock before the age of 18.
The impoverished Southeast Asian 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.
But the new law, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and released to the public on Thursday, lays out prison terms of up to 12 years for marrying or cohabiting with anyone under 18.
People arranging or solemnizing 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,” the law states.
The government says 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 report last year by the United Nations Children’s Fund 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.
Philippines bans child marriage
https://arab.news/2jrpj
Philippines bans child marriage
- Law lays out prison terms of up to 12 years for marrying or cohabiting with anyone under 18
Swiss interior minister open to social media ban for children
- Detailed discussions will begin in the new year, supported by a report on the issue
ZURICH: Switzerland must do more to shield children from social media risks, Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was quoted as saying on Sunday, signalling she was open to a potential ban on the platforms for youngsters.
Following Australia’s recent ban on social media for under-16s, Baume-Schneider told SonntagsBlick newspaper that Switzerland should examine similar measures.
“The debate in Australia and the EU is important. It must also be conducted in Switzerland. I am open to a social media ban,” said the minister, a member of the center-left Social Democrats. “We must better protect our children.”
She said authorities needed to look at what should be restricted, listing options such as banning social media use by children, curbing harmful content, and addressing algorithms that prey on young people’s vulnerabilities.
Detailed discussions will begin in the new year, supported by a report on the issue, Baume-Schneider said, adding: “We mustn’t forget social media platforms themselves: they must take responsibility for what children and young people consume.”
Australia’s ban has won praise from many parents and groups advocating for the welfare of children, and drawn criticism from major technology companies and defenders of free speech.
Earlier this month, the parliament of the Swiss canton of Fribourg voted to prohibit children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15, the latest step taken at a local level in Switzerland to curb their use in schools.
