‘Girl Defenders’ Push for Laws to End Child Marriage in PH

Online demonstration “Girl Defenders”. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A group of legislators is pushing for the abolition of child marriage in the Philippines with its promotion in line with International Day of the Girl Child.

An online demonstration called #GirlDefenders Speak Out to End Child Marriage attracted the participation of Senator Risa Hontiveros, members of the Bangsamoro Women’s Commission, Canadian Ambassador Peter MacArthur and Oxfam Pilipinas Country Director Lot Felizco.

Atty. Hannah Magondato, representative of MP Hadja Bainon Guiabar Karon, chair of the Bangsamoro Regional Commission for Women, said her group will not only support bills introduced in Congress that would abolish child marriage, but also seek to amend the Code of Muslim personal laws that have been used as the basis for allowing child marriage in the country.

“Child marriage is a complex issue that involves poverty, lack of education and culture. In Bangsamoro, child marriage occurs because it has been a practice from one generation to another. Therefore, we will present a resolution calling for the amendment of PD 1083 or the ‘Muslim Personal Law Code’, especially Article 16, as the specific provision that provides the legal basis for child marriage, ”Magondato said.

Hontiveros, for his part, thanked the activists for their support and contribution in the preparation of the bills he sponsored.

There are four bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate that seek to penalize facilitators of child marriage and create mechanisms that transform harmful attitudes and stereotypes that underpin violence against girls.

Representatives Josephine Lacson-Noel, Alfred Vargas, Bernadette Herrera-Dy and Edcel Lagman presented three in the Lower House, while Hontiveros, president of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, presented one in the House High.

“I sponsored Senate Bill No. 1373, or the Girls Not Brides Act, which was supported by #GirlDefenders of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and NCR. Thanks to the #GirlDefenders who were so careful and thoughtful about crafting this bill. Cases of child marriage increase when a community is in the middle of a crisis, ”said Hontiveros. “We only put our girls at risk when we force them into a situation where we deprive them of education and economic prospects. That is why we must continue to raise our voices and be the ‘guardians of others.’

MacArthur and Felizco reiterated their support for the cause and both expressed concern about the negative effects of child marriage on girls.

“Eliminating child marriage is the smartest and right thing to do. Let’s all commit to breaking down barriers. We are laying the foundation for girls to lead better lives to raise the next generation of better-off children. We are all child defenders, ”MacArthur said.

“The risk of child, early and forced marriage increases in humanitarian settings. Thus, the COVID-19 crisis and its far-reaching impacts further underscore why measures to protect girls must now be enacted. The enactment of a strong and just gender law that defends girls should be seen as part of the Philippines’ commitments to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, ”said Felizco.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sandra Sánchez-Montano of the Philippine Commission for Women emphasized the adverse effects of child marriage on girls, saying that the very act is a form of violence and that it contributes greatly to gender inequality while simultaneously affects the development and health of young women. .

“The PCW joins girl defenders in the campaign to end child marriage and is committed to this cause by continuing to fulfill our mission of creating an enabling environment for government and other stakeholders to be more responsive to achieving gender equality and empowerment, ”said Sánchez-Montano.

CFC

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