Tanzania's highest court has annulled a law which allows families to marry off girls as young as 15 years.
The Supreme Court of Appeal upheld a ruling of a lower court that said child marriages infringed on girls' rights and were unlawful and unconstitutional.
Tanzania's attorney general had appealed against the 2017 High Court ruling, which had struck off sections of the law which allowed the marriage of 15-year-old girls.
The court said girls could not marry before 18 - the age for boys.
The ruling is a milestone for the rights of girls.
According to the UN children's agency, 31% of girls in Tanzania are married before the age of 18, while 5% get married before their 15th birthday.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Bawumia joins thousands in Kumasi for burial prayers for Ashanti Regional Imam
46 minutes -
Blue Gold Bogoso Prestea Limited challenges government actions in court
1 hour -
Patrick Atangana Fouda: ‘A hero of the fight against HIV leaves us’
2 hours -
Trinity Oil MD Gabriel Kumi elected Board Chairman of Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies
3 hours -
ORAL campaign key to NDC’s election victory – North America Dema Naa
3 hours -
US Supreme Court to hear TikTok challenge to potential ban
3 hours -
Amazon faces US strike threat ahead of Christmas
3 hours -
Jaguar Land Rover electric car whistleblower sacked
4 hours -
US makes third interest rate cut despite inflation risk
4 hours -
Fish processors call for intervention against illegal trawling activities
4 hours -
Ghana will take time to recover – Akorfa Edjeani
4 hours -
Boakye Agyarko urges reforms to revitalise NPP after election defeat
5 hours -
Finance Minister skips mini-budget presentation for third time
5 hours -
‘ORAL’ team to work gratis – Ablakwa
5 hours -
Affirmative Action Coalition condemns lack of gender quotas in Transition, anti-corruption teams
5 hours