Weak laws let child marriage ‘thrive’ in UK: Rights groups

Weak laws let child marriage ‘thrive’ in UK: Rights groups

LONDON: A legal loophole that allows children aged 16 and 17 in England and Wales to marry with parental consent is being exploited to coerce children into marriages they do not want, rights campaigners have warned. They say there is no legal provision across Britain to prevent religious child marriages from taking place regardless of age. Campaigners from the Girls Not Brides UK partnership wrote: "Child marriage is often viewed as a 'developing world issue' and one that exclusively takes place overseas. The reality is that child marriage is an invisible but thriving issue in the UK today." One of the partnership's co-chairs, Diana Nammi, founder of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation, told The Guardian: "Too often under the current inadequate law we see failures by safeguarding professionals and the consequences of child marriage, which disproportionately affect a greater number of girls, usually married to older men. "The impacts include reduced education and employment opportunities, an increase in mental health problems and a higher incidence of domestic violence." Children's charity Barnardo's has signed the letter alongside organizations including Karma Nirvana, SafeLives and the Muslim Women's Network UK. Campaigner Payzee Mahmod has demanded a ban on child marriage in