The law that will change the fate of children in the country has passed through the parliament, and the representatives are overjoyed.

Colombia has made changes to the law allowing marriage with parental consent from the age of 14. The Parliament approved a law that raises the marriage age to 18 with the aim of ending child marriages and protecting the rights of minors. The law, which aims to prevent the forced marriage of children, exposure to various forms of violence, and deprivation of educational and developmental opportunities, is awaiting the approval of President Gustavo Petro to come into effect.

'CHILDREN SHOULD BE TREATED AS CHILDREN'

Congress member Clara López Obregón stated after the approval of the bill, "Children are not sexual objects; they should be treated as children."

POLITICIANS WELCOMED THE DECISION WITH JOY

The amendment was first brought to the agenda in 2023 with the slogan "They are children, not spouses." Politicians leading the campaign welcomed the decision with joy. After the approval, politicians who were almost overjoyed celebrated by hugging each other.

12 MILLION CHILDREN ARE FORCED INTO MARRIAGE EVERY YEAR

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed the grim picture of child marriages. According to UNICEF data, approximately 12 million girls are forced into marriage each year. However, a decrease in child marriages has been observed globally in recent years. Data shows that a decade ago, one in four young women aged 20-24 was married as a child, while this rate has now dropped to one in five.