Bolivia takes historic step against child marriage

Senate approves law to eliminate exceptions that allowed marriage from age 16

On April 23, the Bolivian Senate approved a bill to amend the “Family and Family Procedure Code,” eliminating 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, Early, and Forced Marriages and Unions (CEFMUs) and marks a significant step toward ensuring a childhood free from violence.

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“We must prevent this. We cannot allow our girls to suffer violence—psychological violence, femicide,” stated Senator Virginia Velasco during her speech to the Senate. “Between 2014 and 2024, 6,001 cases of CEFMUs were recorded—cases in which dreams were shattered.”

The amendment to the Family Code was spearheaded by Senator Velasco, with technical support from Ipas Bolivia and human rights organizations, and through coordinated efforts of civil society organizations advocating for children’s rights.

A woman in traditional attire and hat, seated at a government meeting table with a Bolivian flag, is shown on a large screen. The text identifies her as Senator Virginia Velasco Condori from La Paz.

Fulfilling human rights commitments

The new law proposes to amend the Family Code by removing any provision that allows marriage before the age of 18. Its approval by the Senate represents a substantial advancement in fulfilling the commitments undertaken by the Bolivian State before international human rights bodies. In 2024, Ipas testimony at a hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights prompted the Bolivian government to commit to take action to address the country’s child marriage crisis.

In their advocacy efforts, allied organizations including Ipas Bolivia emphasized that CEFMUs are closely associated with school dropout, unwanted adolescent pregnancies, and multiple forms of gender-based violence. In this context, the legislative reform seeks to safeguard the right of girls and adolescents to live a free, safe, and opportunity-filled childhood.

A group of people sit at curved desks, working with documents, laptops, and tablets. Small Peruvian flags are on the desks. One person hands papers to another. The scene appears to be a meeting or conference.

Legislators review information prepared by Ipas Bolivia as part of its advocacy efforts to pass the law.

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“When a girl is married, she loses her childhood. This law sends a clear message: Girls are neither wives nor concubines,” stated Malena Morales, Country Director of Ipas Bolivia.

Ipas Bolivia has supported this legislative process as part of the campaign “Neither Wives nor Concubines. Girls Are Girls,” which has mobilized voices from communities, educational centers, social media, and traditional media outlets to highlight the urgency of ending child marriage as a form of violence against girls.

Following its approval in the Senate, the bill will now be forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies.

“We are confident that this lawmaking body will also recognize the urgency of this legislation to advance toward a more just and equitable country,” Morales says.