Coming of Age:The Adoption of 18 as the Legal Minimum Age of Marriage
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores the evolution of international law regarding the minimum legal age for marriage, highlighting existing discrepancies and gaps.Although several treaties indirectly address child marriage, only the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women explicitly mentions 'child marriage', albeit without specifying a minimum age.Conversely, the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines the term 'child' but does not address marriage.Through an analysis of the relevant treaties, comments from treaty bodies, and practices, the article identifies 16 as the current de facto minimum legal age for marriage, with a movement towards 18 years of age.
Authors: Jacques Hartmann, Alhasawi, Reem
Language: English
Topic: Marriage and Family Dynamics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7053323308