African nations have pledged to eradicate child and forced marriage in the region at the African Union Summit, according to African Union Goodwill Ambassador to End Child Marriage - Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda.
Goodwill Ambassador Gumbonzvanda announced this political commitment to eradicate Child, Early and Forced Marriages (CEFM) at a panel event at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva hosted by State delegations, UN agencies and NGOs including the African Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, UNFPA, WHO and the governments of Sierra Leone, Italy, Belgium, and Uruguay.
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda
In 2013, the U.N. Human Rights Council - the principal body at the UN that promotes and protects human rights for all - adopted a procedural resolution dedicated to ending child marriage. The event this week called for the Human Rights Council to adopt a substantive resolution that recognises the human rights implications of child, early and forced marriage, and encourage States to use their national and regional experience, to influence and promote the strongest possible inclusion of language addressing CEFM within a comprehensive human rights based approach.
“The illegal and unconscionable practice of child and forced marriage has been ignored by too many governments for far too long, violating the human rights of countless young girls and women across the globe,” said Rebecca Brown, Global Advocacy Director at the Center for Reproductive Rights.
“Today’s action by the African Union echoes the many U.N. resolutions and regional initiatives developed to end child marriage, and it is an important and positive step toward change. It’s time governments fulfil their promises and take the necessary next steps to ensure these policies are implemented and enforced,” she added.