Ending Child Marriage in Belize: Maintaining the Advocacy
National Consultations Underway to Revise Belize’s Road Map to ending CMEU
Child Marriage and Early Unions: A Persistent Challenge in Belize
Child marriage has far-reaching and often devastating consequences, particularly for girls. It deprives them of their childhood, disrupts their education, and limits their future opportunities. It also reinforces cycles of poverty and gender inequality, increases the risk of domestic violence, and exposes girls to early pregnancies often resulting in serious health complications and, in some cases, maternal mortality.
Despite progress in legal reform and advocacy, many adolescents, especially girls, continue to face pressure to marry or enter unions before they are physically, emotionally, and economically prepared. In Belize, child marriage and early unions remain a significant concern.
- 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 is currently married or in an early union.
- 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 in Maya-headed households are married or in a union.
- 1 in 4 women aged 15-19 married or in a union have only a primary education.
- 1 in 10 women aged 15-19 have had a child or are pregnant with their first child.
- 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 from urban areas are currently married or in a union.
First launched in 2020, the CMEU Road Map is a five-year strategic framework designed to accelerate national efforts to eliminate child marriage and early unions in Belize. The roadmap adopts a multisectoral and rights-based approach, addressing structural drivers such as gender inequality, entrenched social norms, poverty, and limited access to education and child protection services, particularly for adolescent girls.
The Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs and the National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC), in collaboration with UNICEF Belize and UNFPA Caribbean, has initiated a series of national consultations to assess progress and inform the revision on the Road Map to End Child Marriage and Early Unions (CMEU) and the accompanying Implementation Plan 2026-2030.
The current consultation process is structured to be inclusive, participatory, and evidence informed. It engages a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including frontline service providers (health, education, and social protection), youth advocates, civil society organizations, and community leaders. These consultations aim to capture diverse perspectives and lived experiences to ensure the revised roadmap is contextually relevant, operationally feasible, and aligned with international human rights standards.
A Key Advocacy Milestone in CMEU Road Map: An amendment to Marriage Act
In October 2024, the Government of Belize enacted a pivotal amendment to the Marriage Act (Chapter 174), raising the legal minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 years. This legislative reform includes a narrowly defined exception: adolescents aged 16 or 17 may marry only with judicial approved parental consent. This change represents a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to align national legislation with international child protection standards.
A key driver behind this reform was the active participation of children and adolescents through the National Children’s Parliament, a platform that empowers young people to engage directly with national decision-making processes. The 2023 cohort of the Children’s Parliament proposed legislation to address child marriage and early unions (CMEU), successfully advocating for its inclusion on the agenda of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly, and the Senate.
The resulting amendment is more than a legal adjustment, it is a critical step toward safeguarding the rights and well-being of Belize’s youth. By raising the marital age, Belize is reinforcing its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5.3, which aims to eliminate child marriage.
However, the work does not end here. Continued investment in awareness, enforcement, and support systems is essential to ensure the law translates into real-world protection for every child.
Recalibrating the CMEU Road Map: Consultations for Compliance and Results
As part of its broader child protection mandate, UNICEF Belize is providing technical and financial support to the process through its Child Protection Programme. This includes facilitating stakeholder engagement, strengthening data collection and analysis, and supporting policy coherence across sectors. The revised roadmap will serve as a key instrument in UNICEF’s advocacy for legislative and policy enforcement, enhancing prevention and support service delivery, while also contributing to national outcomes in adolescent development, gender equality, and the prevention of violence against children.
Building on this legislative reform; the revised roadmap and accompanying implementation plan will reinforce advocacy efforts with the government to ensure enforcement. It will also prioritize awareness-raising, and social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) strategies to address deeply rooted cultural and societal norms surrounding child marriage and early unions.
