Previous legislation on child marriage in Bolivia included an exception that made it possible to marry off 16- and 17-year-olds with the consent of guardians. It is now being removed in the new law that criminalizes all marriages with a child under 18 years.
"The new law against child marriage is a historic victory for girls in Bolivia who have fought for the right to decide over their lives and bodies - a right that has been denied to many of them. Now begins the important work of ensuring that the law is followed in practice. Respect for girls' rights needs to increase throughout Bolivian society", says Åsa Regnér, Secretary General of Save the Children and former head of the UN's gender equality agency UN Women in Bolivia, in a press release.
Persons who register marriages with minors risk up to four years in prison since the law came into force.
Approximately three percent of girls in Bolivia are forced into child marriage before they turn 15, and 22 percent before the age of 18, according to official records.
During the period 2014–2023, over 4,800 marriages with girls aged 16 and 17 were registered. The girls have often been forced to marry men who are twice or three times as old as they themselves.
Bolivia becomes the 14th Latin American country to prohibit child marriage.
Source: Save the Children
