Does Somalia Legislate Early Marriage?

Human Rights Watch urges the Somali parliament to reject a constitutional amendment that would reduce the age of maturity from 18 to 15 years, warning that such a change could "undermine the protection of children's rights." In its statement, the organization believes that "this new age of maturity could practically exacerbate areas of ambiguity in Somalia's law regarding this issue, potentially increasing the vulnerability of children." The proposed amendments, which are expected to be discussed by the Somali parliament tomorrow, Saturday, distinguish between the age of maturity starting from fifteen and the age of responsibility starting from eighteen, "leading to the assumption that all individuals under eighteen remain protected by existing juvenile laws." According to Human Rights Watch's concerns, "the proposed amendment to set the age of maturity at 15 years will particularly expose girls to a high risk of (early) marriage, which could affect their health, especially reproductive health, as well as their access to education and protection from other forms of exploitation." It is noteworthy that data from the international organization "Girls Not Brides" indicates that 36% of girls in Somalia, which is considered one of the least developed countries in the world, are under eighteen years old, with 17% under the age of fifteen.