Under the guidance of Mostafa Madbouli, the Egyptian Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a new draft law that solidifies the prohibition child marriage. The draft law has set out to criminalise underage marriage citing children’s lack of health and mental abilities to bear the responsibilities associated with marriage. In an official statement, the Egyptian Cabinet reiterates the importance of ending the continued occurrence of child marriages, asserting that “that children are not qualified psychologically, culturally, mentally, and physically to be responsible for a family and raising children, explaining that underage marriage is an attack on childhood.” Government policies have prompted legislators to intervene in an effort to actively prevent these harmful practices. According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), approximately 18,000 women got married before the age of 16, representing 15 percent of girls who got married before the legal age of marriage. The Ministry of Health and Population also reported that 500,000 children are born every year to adolescent mothers. The draft law prohibits the authentication of a marriage certificate for any person below the age of 18 years old. Accordingly, every…
