Former Senator Virginia Velasco’s conviction that girls in Bolivia deserve access to health care, education and greater opportunities inspired her to champion a ban on child marriage—and spurred allies to join the effort.

In Sept. 2025, the Bolivian government approved a ban on all marriages under the age of 18. This success builds on years of advocacy by Ipas and partners to end child marriage, which is disturbingly common in Bolivia.

On April 23, the Bolivian Senate approved a bill to eliminate legal exceptions that previously allowed marriage from the age of 16 with parental or judicial authorization. This milestone represents a historic victory for the protection of girls and adolescents against child marriage.

Sexual violence is a cross-border crisis that deeply impacts the lives of women and girls in Latin America. Bolivia faces one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the region.