Table the progress report on National Strategy Plan in Handling the Causes of Child Marriage, DAP urges
DAP’s International Affairs secretary and Women’s vice chair Kasthuri Patto has called upon the Women, Family and Community to table the National Strategy Plan in Handling the Causes of Child Marriage 2020-2025 in the coming Parliament session.
“Five years on, where are we at? Where do we stand as a nation as far as preventing and managing child marriages is concerned?
“Last year Colombia, Sierra Leone and Malawi had successfully banned child marriages through congresses and Parliaments but will that bring the change that is needed?” she said in a statement
“While it is true that there seems to be a decline in the number of registered child marriages over the years in Malaysia from 1,467 in 2019, 1,354 cases in 2020, 1,086 in 2021, 1,035 in 2022 and 923 in 2023, but one case of an underage marriage is one too many.
She also pointed out that there were efforts to ensure children remain in school and sporadic efforts such as the possible tabling of papers to the Cabinet by the Sabah government on child marriages among indigenous communities, other efforts across agencies and ministries are unknown.
The current status on the five year plan in managing contributing factors to child marriages are also not known.
The National Strategy Plan in Handling the Causes of Child Marriage 2020-2025 was launched by then Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in line with National Child Policy, National Child Protection Policy, Child Act 2001 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
It contains programmes and actions to address six factors identified as the causes of child marriage.
The plan that was supported by 27 government ministries, agencies and departments, 14 Majlis Agama Islam, 14 Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri, local NGOs and international bodies reflects cross-sectoral issues addressing issues such as law, parenting, family support, education, health and awareness.
The six factors
The national strategy had outlined six factors that contributed to child marriages:
Low household income and poverty,
Lack of access to sexual reproductive health education and parenting skill,
Lack of access to education and poor school attendance,
Stigma and social norms on child marriage chosen as the best solution in community to address problems,
Loose laws that provide for marriage under the age of 18,
Coordination of underage data and underage divorce.
Kasthuri pointed out that ASEAN member states have different marriage age and Malaysia must put child marriage eradication as an agenda since Malaysia is ASEAN Chair.
Make ending child marriage an ASEAN agenda
“As Chair of ASEAN, the eradication of child marriages must be on the agenda alongside matters like trade, finance, investment and international law.
“After all, if we cannot safeguard and protect our children who will be the next generation of leaders in ASEAN, then we are setting up ourselves to fail in terms of human rights, equality, good governance and justice.
“It is evident, looking at all the contributing factors to underage marriages that it is not on the Government alone to work out a solution but that each and every one of us have a role to play as well.
“But how can we help if we do not have enough information on where we are at on underage marriages in Malaysia?”