Para 58) JS2 stated that for adolescent girls, sexual gender-based violence manifests itself in child marriage, defilement, and rape. Child marriage was often justified in the name of cultural values and traditions. It stated that although the Marriage Act did not regulate religious and customary marriages and that there was weak implementation of the Children’s Act. Also, adolescent pregnancy was often used as a justification to marry off adolescent girls.
Para 22) [The HR Committee] expressed concern about the persistence of harmful traditional practices against women and children, including child marriage, polygamy, widowhood rites and the payment of bogadi.
Para 23) CRC expressed concern that the prohibition of child marriage in the Marriage Act did not apply to customary and religious marriages.