Child marriage in Cameroon

Child Marriage in Cameroon. In 2017 in Cameroon, 31% of girls are married off before the 18 yo. 10% are married before they turn 15.[1]

More than 1 out of 3 girls in Cameroon are married before they turn 18. They are more likely to become pregnant as adolescents,[2] and they are more vulnerable to abuse.[2]

Child marriage is most common in the northern part of the country where three-fourths of women aged 20-29 were married before they turned 16 yo.[3] Prevalence is highest in North of Cameroon, where 79 percent of girls marry early.[3] Most of the girls in the northern part of the country are given to much older suitors when they are 11 or 12 years-old according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).

Cameroonian girls are susceptible to early marriage because cultural and social norms dictate they marry earlier than boys.[3] Girls are therefore denied the opportunity to go to school because they are expected to do chores such as cooking, fetching water and cleaning the home.[3]

More than half of Cameroonian girls who have no education are already married.[2]

Laws and policies

A new penal code, promulgated in July 2016, aims to end the harmful practice of child marriage. Section 356 criminalises forced marriage. Whoever compels anyone to forcibly marry can be punished with 5-10 years in prison, as well as a fine of 25,000 – 1,000,000 CFAF. If the victim is under the age of 18, the punishment may not be less than 2 years imprisonment, whatever the mitigating circumstances.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Child marriage around the world: CAMEROON", Girls Not Brides
  2. 1 2 3 Olive Bonga (October 6, 2016), "New rules to help end child marriage in Cameroon", United Nations Population Fund
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jude Thaddeus Njikem (October 26, 2016), "IMAGINING A FUTURE FREE OF CHILD MARRIAGE IN CAMEROON. Adolescent Girls, Child Marriage", International Center for Research on Women
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