ICRW’s Statement on Sierra Leone’s new law to end child marriage

We applaud President Julius Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone for their new comprehensive law to end child marriage. We hope this milestone inspires the countries that still have weak protections against child marriage, to enact laws and policies for promotion of the full enjoyment of girls’ rights. At ICRW, we have dedicated years of research to ending child marriage. Most recently, we partnered with Plan International to investigate the intersecting factors driving the persistence of high rates of child marriage in low and middle-income countries and why, despite years of substantial and ongoing investments, attempts to eliminate child marriages are not yielding the anticipated results. The policy change in Sierra Leone gives us hope to continue the work to not only end child marriages, but to dismantle the system that allows for them and replace it with more inclusive and just system where girls can thrive.