In Sierra Leone, West Africa, there is a law that makes marrying a girl under 18 punishable by 15 years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
According to international news agencies, the president of our country, Julius Maada Bio, signed the law in a ceremony to prevent the marriage of underage girls in the capital Freetown. Under the new law, people who marry girls under the age of 18 in Sierra Leone face a $4,000 fine and 15 years in prison.
According to the new law, the parents of the bride or groom, guests who attend the ceremony related to marriage under age must also pay the same penalty and fine.
According to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health, a third of girls in the country are married before the age of 18, contributing to the world’s high maternal mortality rate.
