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.

Africa: Marriage

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the Government of (a) Mali, (b) Benin, (c) Burkino Faso and (d) Niger on (i) raising the minimum legal age of marriage for women and (ii) setting equal minimum ages of marriage for men and women.

Answer: Investing in adolescent girls, including raising the age of marriage and first pregnancy, is at the heart of DFID's strategic vision for girls and women.Whilst DFID does not have bilateral programmes or representation in these countries, we do provide support through multilateral programming. Together with the FCO and Home Office Joint 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