Major win in Colombia- child marriage banned without exception!
After 17 years and 8 failed attempts, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has enacted law 2447 of 2025 banning child marriage in the country. In 2024, Colombia’s Congress approved the removal of Article 117 form its civil code, which allowed individuals over 14 years old to marry with parental consent. The new law now prohibits all forms of marriage in which one or both parties are under the age of 18, without exception. This marks a significant step towards eradicating child marriage in Latin America, the only region in the world that has failed to reduce the child marriage in the last 25 years.
Colombian Congress now 30% women-led
In December, The Latin Times reported that efforts to remove Article 117 began in 2007 and were attempted 7 more times between 2015 and 2021. All attempts failed—either shelved by the Senate or withdrawn by their sponsors. Some congressmen argued that the amendment would “ban love” and claimed adolescents should be allowed to marry while exploring their sexuality. A lack of quorum and prioritization for children’s rights also contributed to the failures.
Jennifer Pedraza, a congresswoman for Colombia’s Dignity and Commitment Party, credits part of their success to the Colombian Congress being 30% women-led. Pedraza recalls:
“The 30% of women in Congress was important because of the way the debate happened. Many of my colleagues were willing to share their own life stories, those of their mothers, their grandmothers, and [explain] the systematic violence that emerged [from these underage unions]. Thanks to these interventions by my colleagues from all parties, even those who had reservations became obliged to either vote positively, or abstain from voting,”
Lawmakers first introduced the “They Are Girls, Not Brides” bill in August 2023. After passing four debates in Colombia’s Chamber of Representatives and Senate, policymakers verified the law. Under Law 2447, Colombia will launch a national program called ‘Life Projects for Children and Adolescents’, focusing on prevention and support to survivors. The law also requires awareness campaigns in high-risk areas to educate communities about the dangers of child marriage and early unions.