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Pakistan court orders arrests over Christian teen’s forced marriage

Pakistan court orders arrests over Christian teen’s forced marriage

ZOFEEN T EBRAHIM A Pakistani court ordered several arrests on Monday in the case of a Christian teenager who was allegedly forced to convert to Islam and marry a 44-year-old Muslim man, an incident that sparked street protests by church groups and rights activists. The high court in Sindh province - where the legal marriage age is 18 - instructed police to arrest suspects including the cleric who conducted the wedding ceremony. Court-appointed doctors said the girl was about 14. "This being the case... it was not possible for her to enter into a legally valid marriage," the judges said…
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Outrage as Somali parliament drafts law permitting child, forced marriages

Outrage as Somali parliament drafts law permitting child, forced marriages

NITA BHALLA and MOHAMMED OMER SOMALIA's parliament has sparked outrage by replacing long-awaited legislation to protect women and girls from violence with a new bill permitting child and forced marriage. The East African nation has high rates of child marriage and violence against women, including rape and female genital mutilation (FGM). The United Nations says 45% of women are married before 18, while 98% have undergone FGM. In 2018, Somalia's cabinet approved the landmark Sexual Offences bill aimed at criminalising a wide range of forms of gender-based violence including rape, child marriage and sex trafficking. The bill sets out clear…
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