People who were aware of child marriage yet chose not to report it could face a sentence of 10 years, Jammeh added. Jammeh announced this week that child marriage in Gambia was banned with immediate effect, punishable by 20 years in prison for both the husband and parents of the girl being married. Gambia last month became the 13th nation in Africa to join the African Union's (AU) campaign to end child marriage, which aims to raise awareness of the risks of the practice. Women's rights activists on Friday welcomed Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's decision to ban child marriage, but said jailing parents who marry off their daughters could spark a backlash in a country where a third of girls are wed before they turn 18. The government should engage with local communities to try to change attitudes towards child marriage, instead of threatening families with prison sentences, said Isatou Jeng of the Gambian women's rights organisation Girls Agenda.

Source: The Star July 08, 2016 13:07 UTC