Underage marriage issue Underage marriages are strongly correlated with poverty and level of education. It happens in any society where there is an imbalance of wealth distribution, and children are the weakest fragment amongst the society and are normally the most victimised. We support measures to stop forced marriages that are potentially harmful especially to very young brides or grooms, physically or socially. We categorically condemn cases where girls were forced to marry much older men, and instances where young girls were treated as objects or commodities as their families try to escape poverty. However, a good policy addresses the needs of all segments of societies. It does not aim for one-size-fits-all solutions, especially in an issue as complex as marriages that are de
Read MoreTag: Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976
On February 19, Malaysia’s progress in women’s rights was reviewed at the 69th session of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This is the second time Malaysia has been reviewed after it acceded to CEDAW in 1995. The review process is undoubtedly one of the best platforms to raise awareness of issues concerning the rights of women in Malaysia. The Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations in the UPR Process (MACSA) welcomes the government’s commitment in combating discrimination against women including the government’s assurance to enact Gender Equality Act, as well as its commitment in upholding and implementing a legal framework and policies pertaining to marriage and family on the basis of equality between m...
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