(Reuters)Child marriage became illegal in the Philippines on Thursday as a law banning the practice took effect in a country where one in six girls enters wedlock before the age of 18. "The state... views child marriage as a practice constituting child abuse because it debases, degrades, and demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of children," the law states. However, some portions of the legislation have been suspended for one year to allow for a transition period for Muslims and Indigenous communities in which child marriage is relatively common. "Child marriage is a harmful practice that can cause lasting impact throughout the lives of both girls and boys. Banning child marriage is unpopular in the southern areas populated by the Catholic nation's large Islamic minority, where a 1977 law allows marriage by Filipino Muslims at the age of puberty or the onset of first menstruation for girls.

Source: The Standard January 06, 2022 17:09 UTC