Multi-sector groups have joined forces to press for the abolition of child marriage in the Philippines.
They launched on Tuesday, May 11, an online petition on Change.Org and can be accessed via www.change.org/endchildmarriageph.
The petition was spearheaded by the Child Rights Network (CRN), the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), Plan International Philippines, and the nationwide coalition #GirlDefenders Alliance.
The groups called on Congress to pass a law that will repeal all laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules, and regulations that legally allow the practice of child marriage.
So far, over 100 organizations, government agencies and officials, legislators, lawyers, health practitioners, personalities, and civil society advocates have already signed the petition. The list of signatories can be viewed through bit.ly/endchildmarriagesignatories.
Group bats for child protection,
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The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) and the Commission on Population (PopCom), in a dissemination forum on Wednesday, Feb. 17, sounded the alarm on adolescent pregnancy and other top concerns of women in the Philippines during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Last week, the data from the civil registry on pregnancy of “very young adolescents” in 2019 was released.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), through POPCOM, said that a total of 62,510 children gave birth in 2019.
Of these, seven very young adolescents or those between 10-14 years gave birth per day, or a total of 2,411 for the year.