The Executive Branch has not yet enacted the law prohibiting child marriage. This delay has caused international organizations to pressure and urge President Dina Boluarte to comply with enforcing the law that will protect thousands of girls and adolescents.

With more than 4,357 forced unions of minors under 18 years of age registered in Peru between 2012 and 2022, according to the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (Reniec), and more than 400 cases involving minors under 16 years of age, child marriage remains a persistent social problem.

The responsibility now falls on the Boluarte administration not only to ratify the law, but also to guarantee its effective implementation and monitoring, thus ensuring a future without child marriages in Peru and the realization of a framework of rights that safeguards the integrity and full development of minors in Peruvian society.

It should be remembered that the Congress of the Republic transferred to the Executive Branch the Bill No. 3194/2022 to prohibit child marriage in the nation on November 13. However, seven days before the deadline for publishing it expires, the Peruvian government has not yet made it official. If it is not made official, the legislation will not be able to enter into force, keeping in suspense a crucial norm for the defense of the rights of children and adolescents in the country.

This law is a fundamental step for the protection of the vulnerable population, especially girls and adolescents, who are the main ones affected by child marriage in the country.

“The forbidden bride”: Campaign against forced unions

“Worldwide, one in five girls gets married or lives together before turning 18. In less developed countries, this problem affects 36% of girls before they reach the age of majority, and 10% of them are under 15 years old,” says Plan International, an organization that has just launched a campaign against child marriage.

The campaign in question is “The Forbidden Bride,” focused on raising awareness about the serious effects of child marriage. The NGO has carried out a social experiment in public spaces to highlight the consequences that these forced unions have on the physical and emotional health of the girls involved. In addition, they show how these practices limit access to education and the personal development of minors.

According to Véronique Henry, Director of Plan International, the practice of child marriage, often without consent, subjects girls to various forms of violence ranging from physical harm to sexual abuse and psychological disorders. Social pressure exerted by families and communities further aggravates this situation.