Sierra Leone Outlaws Child Marriage with New Legislation

Sierra Leone has introduced a new law prohibiting child marriage, with President Julius Maada Bio signing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act into law. The legislation makes it illegal for anyone involved in the marriage of a girl under 18 to be jailed for at least 15 years and fined around $45,000. This move aims to address the widespread practice of child marriage in West and Central Africa, where hundreds of thousands of girls are married before turning 18.