Written question asked by Alex Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 11 July 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 July 2011. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 18 July 2011 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Developing Countries: Marriage

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to encourage countries in receipt of financial support from his Department to (a) set and enforce a minimum legal age of marriage and (b) reduce the proportion of women who marry before the age of 18 years.

Answer: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to protecting and promoting human rights for all people, including children. In taking decisions on the provision of aid, DFID takes into consideration the country government's commitment to human rights.We work through our country programmes to support Governments to tackle early marriage. In Ethiopia, our support will delay marriage for 220,000 girls in two specific locations, with the vision to expand to the entire Amhara region, which has the highest rate of child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are also working with the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs in Ethiopia to develop the Government's capacity to implement national programmes to tackle early marriage.Together with the FCO and Home Office Joint Forced Marriage Unit, we work with UN and EU partners, and bilaterally, to implement the UN convention on the rights of the child and its two optional protocols, and encourage countries to fulfill their obligations.

Secondary information