Marriageable age for girls must remain 18

We welcome the State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Meher Afroze Chumki's reiteration that the minimum marriageable age for girls would remain 18. However, our concern remains about the proposed draft law under consideration, which includes a provision that allows for a girl to marry at 16 under special circumstances.

Under the existing law the legal marriageable age is 18 but this has not stopped child marriage in our country. According to a Icddr,b and Plan International study released in 2013, 64 percent of women aged between 20 to 24 were married before 18.

We are therefore extremely worried that a provision that allows a girl to be married at 16 under special circumstances will result in creating a scope for more girls to be married off at 16 years or even younger.  Women's rights activists and civil society in general, have voiced their fears regarding this issue and have requested the government to do away with any such provisions. It is more important for the government to address the circumstances that have led to the proposal of such provisions. This includes providing security for girls, empowering them through education and working with society to change the mindsets of men. The law must remain unambiguous and categorical about keeping the marriageable age at 18.