Legislatures in the region have done their part to fight child marriages. There have been numerous debates in parliaments across Southern Africa about the impact of child marriages on children, families and communities, with legislatures calling for a ban on the practice. Whilst in some of the parliaments, these debates are ongoing, in others, laws have been or are in the process of being passed to fight the practice.

In 2015, the Malawi Parliament passed the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act which outlawed Child Marriages and a 2017 constitutional amendment increased the minimum age of marriage from 15 to 18 for both girls and boys. Zimbabwe has a Marriage Bill in parliament, and the law seeks to comply with the 2013 constitution, the 2016 constitutional court decision and the SADC Model Law by legislating against child marriages. In 2019, the Mozambican Parliament passed the Law on Prevention and Combating of Premature Unions and revised the country’s Family Law to prohibit marriages of children under the age of 18.

Legislatures in the region have done their part to fight child marriages. There have been numerous debates in parliaments across Southern Africa about the impact of child marriages on children, families and communities, with legislatures calling for a ban on the practice. Whilst in some of the parliaments, these debates are ongoing, in others, laws have been or are in the process of being passed to fight the practice.

In 2015, the Malawi Parliament passed the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act which outlawed Child Marriages and a 2017 constitutional amendment increased the minimum age of marriage from 15 to 18 for both girls and boys. Zimbabwe has a Marriage Bill in parliament, and the law seeks to comply with the 2013 constitution, the 2016 constitutional court decision and the SADC Model Law by legislating against child marriages. In 2019, the Mozambican Parliament passed the Law on Prevention and Combating of Premature Unions and revised the country’s Family Law to prohibit marriages of children under the age of 18.