After attending “Too Young to Wed,” a congressional briefing sponsored by the International Center for Research on Women, I can say that the problem of child marriage is much bigger than I had thought. Additionally, I am convinced that child marriage is a symptom of larger problems in developing countries, all of which are interrelated and stem from poverty.

We were welcomed by Tamara Krenin, the Director of Women and Population at the UN Foundation. The program began with a moving film called “The Bride Price,” providing the audience with background on child marriage, early pregnancies, and the general lack of opportunities that await girls all over the world.
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Many African countries enforce laws which prohibit women from holding property or making decisions that affect their own lives without their husbands’ consent. Right now in Mali, a new family law code waiting to be adopted by Parliament is facing opposition from some Islamic groups who claim it goes against Islamic principles, particularly when it comes to proposed changes to the country’s marriage laws.

The new code aims to bring more equality between men and women in relation to marital status, parental rights, ownership of land and inheritance, wages and pensions, employment laws and education. Mali’s current legal system was developed in 1962, based on French laws at that time, as well as Koranic texts. Islamic groups such as the Islamic Salvation Association (AISLAM) have been campaigning hard against the proposed changes to their current law. In early April the group called for the bill to be withdrawn from Parliament.

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