Raise the age of consent in Nigeria from 11 to 18.

My cousin posted this on facebook so, i thought i should share it with you guys. It is a really serious topic and i would like you guys to contribute, thanks.

UNICEF defines gender equality as “a state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision making, and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs regardless of gender.”

In Nigeria, gender equality is something we need to work towards and there are institutionalized systems which aim to keep women subservient to men. One of such is the issue of child marriage.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria presents contradicting stances on the issue. Section 23 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says, “a person under the age of 18 is incapable of contracting a valid marriage. If such a marriage does take place, it should be declared null and void and of no effect. Contradicting that, is Section 29(4b) that says, “This is by its provision that any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”

It's Never Your Fault is a not-for-profit run by a group of teenage friends: Susan Ubogu ([email protected]), Kudirat Abiola ([email protected]), and Temitayo Asuni ([email protected]). Our first project is titled #raisetheage, a movement trying to raise the age of consent in all Nigerian states to eighteen years old and to have this law enforced.

According to UNICEF, (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) Nigeria has the 11th highest percentage of child marriage in the world. A child as young as eleven can be married off. This leads to innumerable complications not only for the child but also for the economy as a whole. According to UNICEF, (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) A total of 44% of the female Nigerian population gets married off before their 18th birthday. That is 40 million people. Imagine if we had 40 million more people working towards solving the issues of our country. It also leads to a number of illnesses for the girl child: VVF, PPD, STDs, HBP, etc.

The aim of this petition is to make the constitution clearer on child marriage in Nigeria, including section 29(4b)which says that, “This is by its provision that any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.” Due to the fact that this law is not clearly stated, it implies that being 11 or even younger, and in a marriage allows the culprit go Scott free,making the small girl child suffer .

Take 5 minutes of your time and sign this petition, in an effort to raise the age of consent in Nigeria,reduce child marriage in Nigeria, make the constitution clearer and ensure that the law is enforced all over the country. I guarantee you it will change a life!

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