Committee: United Nation Children fund

Agenda: Saving the children: putting an end to child marriage and teenage pregnancy
Name: Fadiyya Miamoira Karamoy
Delegate of Switzerland

Approximately, 15 million underage girls are married each year. This is equal to
41,000 a day. The said statement is accredited by a report made by United Nation Children
Fund (UNICEF) circa 2014. A child marriage is judged to be of forced marriage prescribed
that both or one of the parties didn’t reveal a comprehensive and unchained consent. Child
and forced marriage are a contravention to human rights. It’s a damaging praxis that
distressed countless of girls and women. These forced marriages are holding them back
from living as an ordinary youngster.
Under no circumstances we can sugar coat child marriages, even in Switzerland. The amount
of imposed marriages that take account of our youth has arose crucially in Switzerland,
announcing 119 cases in 2016. In keeping with zwangsheirat.ch (a website engrossed for
forced marriages) of a distinct discuss is based on the 119 cases, 26 were girls below the age
of 16, majority are from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, and Eritrea. The indicated quantity
is five times the combined number passed on between 2005 until 2015. Quoting from Anu
Sivagnesan, the president of zwangsheirat.ch, that this is not an objective outturn of
refugees. It was somewhat due to the increase in asylum seekers in Switzerland. But the
general public, (certain experts for instance social workers, doctors, and teachers) was
becoming progressively conscious of the problem.
The Swiss Parliament proceed a succession course of action in 2012. The Senate and The House of
Representatives firming the law, particularly disallowing marriages to minors. The minimum
age for marriage in Switzerland is 18. Forced marriages can be simply called off and that the
burden is not put down on the victims is the goal of this bill. The punishment imposed is jail
sentences to a limit of three years for individuals declared guilty of compelling others into a
marriage. Article 105 (6) of the Swiss Civil Code appeals for marriages with a minor spouse
to be annulled, except “the continuation of the marriage is in the best interests of that
spouse”. We realize that this exception should be removed because it will still affect minors
and it supports the conservative reasons for marriages with children.
Possible Solutions:

 Targeting investments and programming to end child forced marriages.

 Make sure on getting woman and young girls the education that they need about
sexual and reproductive health care, gender-reactive social protection systems, and
equal labour market.
 Supply economic support and inducement to girls and families in need.
 Push supportive laws and policies on child and forced marriages.
 Upskill the knowledge of parents and community members on the dangerous of
child marriages
 Build an environment that supports the abolish of child marriages.
 Inform teachers and healthcare workers about the dangerous of child marriages
 Set an ideal minimum age for consensual marriage.
Committee: United Nation Children fund
Agenda: Saving the children: putting an end to child marriage and teenage pregnancy
Name: Fadiyya Miamoira Karamoy
Delegate of Switzerland
References:

 Child marriage. UNICEF DATA. (2021, March 8). https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-

protection/child-marriage/.
 Fedlex. (n.d.). https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/24/233_245_233/en.
 Romy, K. (2018, September 20). When children forced to marry stay married. SWI
swissinfo.ch. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/child-marriages_when-children-forced-
to-marry-stay-married/44413872.
 Swissinfo.ch. (2017, March 3). Forced underage marriages rise in Switzerland. SWI
swissinfo.ch. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/child-abuse_forced-underage-
marriages-rise-in-switzerland/42358794.
 Using data to target and scale-up girls' support programs and child marriage
prevention. (2017). https://doi.org/10.31899/rh7.1055