Gambia and Tanzania outlaw child marriage

July 8, 2016 Cholo Brooks Africa 0

President John Magufuli and Gambia President Yahya Jammeh — President John Magufuli and
Gambia President Yahya Jammeh

{BBC NEWS} – The Gambia and Tanzania have banned child marriage, with tough penalties for those who breach the rulings.

Gambia’s President Yayha Jammeh announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years.

In Tanzania, the high court imposed a landmark ruling outlawing marriage under the age of 18 for boys and girls.

Some 30% of underage girls are married in The Gambia, while in Tanzania the rate is 37%.

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About Cholo Brooks 16878 Articles

Joel Cholo Brooks is a Liberian journalist who previously worked for several international news outlets including the BBC African Service. He is the CEO of the Global News Network which publishes two local weeklies, The Star and The GNN-Liberia Newspapers. He is a member of the Press Union Of Liberia (PUL) since 1986, and several other international organizations of journalists, and is currently contributing to the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation as Liberia Correspondent.