By Belize Live News Staff: A critical step towards ending child marriage in Belize was taken on Wednesday, August 8th, as the National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC) and the National Women’s Commission held a consultation to legislate the legal marriage age at 18 across the board.
Currently, the Belize Marriage Act of 2011 allows marriage at 16 with parental consent, despite setting the minimum age at 18. This discrepancy has led to instances of children, particularly girls, being married as young as 13 in some rural communities.
“We don’t believe parents should consent to somebody getting married at the age of 16,” stated Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development. “Since marriage is a contract, it should be for 18-year-olds.”
Thea Garcia Ramirez, Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that children are not allowed to engage in other adult activities and should not be allowed to enter into the complex contract of marriage.
Early marriage often leads to girls leaving school early, starting families young, and facing limited earning potential throughout their lives. Garcia Ramirez emphasized that early marriage compromises a child’s development and forces them into adulthood prematurely.
While Minister Balderamos Garcia believes there would be no retroactive punishment if the law is changed, she stressed that such marriages would no longer be publicly accepted.
