Sierra Leone: Historic Bill to End Child Marriage Passed – Sustained Efforts to Raise Community Awareness Must Now Follow

Reacting to the signing into law of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 on 2 July by President Julius Maada Bio, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said:

“We welcome this historic law banning child marriage in Sierra Leone. This legislation, in criminalizing marriage for anyone under the age of 18, seeks to protect girls from a deeply harmful practice that has long violated their rights and hindered their education, health, and well-being….