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Groups launch #ENDChildMarriage online petition in PH

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Aleta Nieva Nishimori, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - A multisectoral group advocating for the rights of women and children launched on Tuesday an online signature campaign to end child marriage in the Philippines.“Today, we announce to the nation and the world that children and youth in Bangsamoro are standing up to say, child marriage must stop,&quot; said youth advocate Farhana Tala Ganoy of MAYA, a Maguindanao-based youth alliance against child marriage.&quot;We need to change harmful practices like child marriage, lalung-lalo na kapag ang bagay na ito ay nagkakaroon ng hindi magandang epekto sa pamumuhay ng mga bata, hindi lamang sa Bangsamoro, kundi sa buong Pilipinas at buong mundo,&quot; she said in a statement.&quot;Let’s be champions for their hopes and dreams.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/09/20/senate-passes-bill-declaring-child-marriage-as-illegal-on-final-reading">Senate passes bill declaring child marriage as illegal on final reading</a></li></ul>The petition filed on <a href="https://www.change.org/p/philippine-legislators-pass-the-bill-to-prohibit-child-marriage-in-the-philippines-endchildmarriage">Change.org</a> was initially signed by 100 organizations and coalitions, government agencies and officials, legislators, lawyers, health practitioners, personalities, artists, and advocates from civil society.The campaign is led by the Child Rights Network (CRN), the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), Plan International Philippines, and the nationwide multi-sectoral coalition #GirlDefenders Alliance. The campaign urges Congress to pass a law that will repeal all other laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules, and regulations legally allowing the practice of child marriage in the country.The group said that child marriage is still a prevalent practice in Muslim and indigenous communities in the Philippines.The legal marrying age for Filipinos is 18, but the Code of Muslim Personal Laws or Section 1 Article 16 of Presidential Decree No. 1083 allows marriage at the age of puberty or at the onset of first menstruation.So far, the Senate has already passed its version of a bill that prohibits child marriage.“We note with distinction how the Senate has speedily approved Senate Bill 1373, which institutes a culturally appropriate program to not only prohibit child marriage, but also help victims to be provided access to restorative justice,” said CRN Convenor Romeo Dongeto.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/09/20/senate-passes-bill-declaring-child-marriage-as-illegal-on-final-reading">Senate passes bill declaring child marriage as illegal on final reading</a></li></ul>However, the House of Representatives has yet to act on similar pending bills. The House Committee on Women and Gender Equality is set to hold its first hearing on the bills on May 19.“As the House of Representatives readies for the opening of the debates on the practice of child marriage, may this point be highlighted: that beyond cultural norms, this practice is still prevalent – and even on the rise – as a result of economic insecurity brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,&quot; said Dongeto.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/01/20/study-covid-19-pandemic-puts-half-a-million-more-girls-at-risk-of-child-marriage">Study: COVID-19 pandemic puts half a million more girls at risk of child marriage</a></li></ul>&quot;Our legislators need to look at the issue not only as a matter of prohibiting the act of solemnizing and facilitating child marriage, but also about addressing the fact that many families are resorting to this act as a survival strategy amid severe poverty.”The Philippines, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ranks 12th globally in the absolute number of child marriages. The 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey also shows that 1 in 6 Filipino girls are married before they are 18 years old.“Child marriage is a form of violence against girls. It takes away their potential for higher educational attainment, higher employability, and better life conditions.&quot; said Ana Maria Locsin, Country Director of Plan International Philippines, an organization that seeks equality for girls.&quot;It leaves them vulnerable to grave risks, such as, high-risk pregnancies, reproductive health disorders, and sexually transmitted diseases,” she added.Locsin pointed out that child marriage also leads to domestic violence and abuse.Data from the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey indicate that 26.4% of married women aged 15-19 years old reported experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional violence, the groups said.In a comparative study of 34 countries published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, it was found that physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence was higher among women who married as children (29%) compared with those who married as adults (20%), they added.<div>RELATED VIDEO:</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1682937" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

A multisectoral group advocating for the rights of women and children launched on Tuesday an online signature campaign to end child marriage in the Philippines.

A multisectoral group advocating for the rights of women and children launched on Tuesday an online signature campaign to end child marriage in the Philippines.

Groups launch #ENDChildMarriage online petition in PH

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Groups launch #ENDChildMarriage online petition in PH

Aleta Nieva Nishimori,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 11, 2021 07:01 PM PHT

Read More:

Child Rights Network

child marriage

child

human rights

children's welfare

child marriage Philippines

Plan International Philippines

GirlDefenders Alliance

ENDChildMarriage

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