RoP News }: Somalia Under Fire for Overturning Law Banning Child Marriage, said the clauses contradict Islamic law

‘Babies Are Having Babies’​

Somalia’s Federal Government has sparked national and international outrage after rejecting clauses in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child that prohibit marriage under 18 years. The Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development said the clauses contradict Islamic law and the Somali constitution, which it emphasized take precedence over international agreements.

The decision means Somalis can marry below 18 and reach adulthood according to Islamic principles, not fixed age limits. It also reverses a recent attempt to align Somalia’s laws with regional child protection standards , a move that was reportedly overturned within 24 hours after public protests.

According to the ministry, provisions that guarantee children freedom of religion, privacy, and protection from early marriage were seen as interfering with parental responsibility and Islamic values.

The announcement, made around the International Day of the Girl Child, has triggered fury online, with many accusing Somali authorities of legitimizing child abuse under the guise of religion.

“So Somalia just banned child marriage, and grown men are crying! God of Isaac, Jacob, and Abednego, please arise!” one user posted.

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Another added, “Somalia passed a law to set the marriage age to 18. The men cried and protested. It was overturned in 24 hours. They want to continue marrying 8-year-olds. They are marrying off babies. Babies are having babies.”

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A different user wrote, “This International Day of the Girl Child I want to remind us that in Somalia, young girls are being married off to pedophiles. The law to prevent this was revoked after 24 hours because men took to the streets to protest for their rights to marry children. This is the reality of girls.”

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“Child marriage in Somalia was abolished, but men protested until the law was overturned so they can rape children. This is the Africa they want us to be united with countries where men protest to rape children,” another added.

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The backlash has renewed calls for stronger protection of girls’ rights in Africa, with activists warning that allowing early marriage robs young girls of their childhood, education, and future.

As the debate rages, Somalia’s move underscores the broader struggle between cultural and religious interpretations of law and the universal principles of child rights and welfare.

I didnt know somalia has a gomen.