Child marriage in Somalia

Child marriage in Somalia is a marriage in which the bride is less than 18 years of age. Most child marriages involve girls aged 15-18 years old, many of whom are from poor families.

Tradition

Traditionally, dating is not an aspect of Somali culture, this is especially because marriage occurs quite early in the teenage years of Somalis. It is very shameful for a woman to become pregnant without being married and it becomes difficult for her to find a husband. Marriage is encouraged for anyone who has reached the age of maturity, which is considered to be from age 15 and older.[1] A 1890 British description stated that most Somalis marry at 15 or 16 years old.[2]

The first modern state regulation of marriage age came under the government of Siad Barre. The 1975 Family Code introduced secular family law and attempted to standardize marriage rules establishing the legal age for marriage at 18 years for both men and women but allowing girls to marry at 16 years with consent of a parent/guardian. The Family Code of 1975 also states that a marriage contracted under compulsion is invalid and that failure to register a marriage would be punishable by fine.[3] By 1985, the average age at first marriage ranged from 18.6 years in the rural agricultural sector to 20.4 years among the nomadic population.[4]

Somalia's Provisional Constitution (2012) states that a marriage shall not be legal without the free consent of both the man and the woman or if either party has not reached the age of maturity. However, it does not define the age of maturity.[5] In October 2025, Somalia ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. However, following parliamentary ratification, the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development issued a statement reaffirming the country's commitment to child rights but emphasizing that Somalia's national constitution and Islamic teachings remain the supreme legal authorities guiding interpretation and implementation.[6] The Somaliland constitution also does not explicitly define a legal marriage age.[7]

Statistics

According to the Somali government's Health and Demographic Survey in 2020, 16% of women aged 20-24 interviewed were married by the time they turned 15, and 34% were married between 15 and 18 years old. According to the survey, the median age at first marriage was 20 for women aged 25-49 and 23 for men aged 25-64.[8] Early marriage remains a common practice throughout Somalia, largely driven by poverty. Many families view marrying off young daughters as a means to lessen financial strain or secure additional income.[9]

Cases of child marriage in Somalia

In March 2025, public outrage erupted after an eight-year-old girl, missing for six months, was found living with a man in Carmo who claimed to be her husband. The girl had been taken from her home in Bosaso in September 2024, allegedly with her father's consent for marriage to a man named Mahmoud. The case, which prompted widespread protests and condemnation from rights groups, reignited debate around child protection laws in the country. Puntland authorities intervened and returned the child to her family on 25 March 2025.[10]

References

  1. ^ Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United (2021-09-16). National Gender Profile for Gender and Rural Development - Somalia: Country Gender Assessment – Africa. Food & Agriculture Org. p. 7. ISBN 978-92-5-134834-5.
  2. ^ The Journal of the Anthropological Society of Bombay. Education Society's Press. 1890. p. 4.
  3. ^ UN Women. Legislating and Enforcing the Minimum Age of Marriage: A Comparative Study of Experiences and Lessons Learned (2023)
  4. ^ Delancey, Virgina Helen; Lindsay, Deborah E.; Spring, Anita (1989). Somalia: An Assessment of SWDO, and of the Social and Economic Status of Women in the Lower Shebelle. Agency for International Development. p. 9.
  5. ^ IMF Country Report No. 24/347
  6. ^ "Somalia Clarifies Position on African Children's Rights Charter Amid Islamic Law Concerns". ImpACT International. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  7. ^ Mohamed, Abdirahman Saeed (2025). "A cross-sectional study of early marriage among ever-married Somali women: Prevalence, regional differences, and sociodemographic determinants". PloS One. 20 (7) e0329166. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0329166. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 12303345. PMID 40720383.
  8. ^ Govt. Somalia, UNFPA (30 April 2020). "The Somali Health and Demographic Survey 2020". reliefweb.int.
  9. ^ "Somalia: Aisha's journey from forced marriage to safety". NRC. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  10. ^ "Outrage in Somalia after man says he married missing eight-year-old". www.bbc.com. 2025-04-01. Retrieved 2025-04-09.


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