Adolescents gear up to popularize and enforce New Child Marriage Law

^{Children in Kailahun making their inputs for the popularization and enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024}

Following the presidential assent to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024, we held series of consultation meetings across various districts in Sierra Leone to engage adolescents on the next steps.

Starting on August 1st in Freetown, and continuing in Kailahun on the 6th, Pujehun on the 8th, and Port Loko on the 13^th. These consultations were to actively involve adolescents in the future implementation of the law and to integrate their feedback into the dissemination strategy. A total of 99 adolescents, including 42 boys and 57 girls, participated in these meetings.

The Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs has incorporated the feedback from these engagements into their dissemination plan, ensuring that young people are effectively engaged in communicating the law within their communities.

This initiative shows the importance of involving young people in legislative processes that directly affect their lives, ensuring their perspectives are considered in the enforcement and promotion of the new law.