FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) - A bill that bans child marriage in Sierra Leone has been signed into law, President Julius Maada Bio said late Tuesday, in an effort to protect girls in the West African nation where about a third are married before adulthood. Some 16 Cabinet ministers are expected to lose their seats, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Several MPs mooted as potential successors to Mr Sunak are also under threat, including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick in Newark. "I have always believed that the future of Sierra Leone is female," Bio said on social media platform X.
"This and future generations of girls must thrive in Sierra Leone in which they´re protected, equal and empowered." The law is being celebrated widely. It criminalizes marrying any girl who is under 18 years old. Offenders face up to 15 years in prison or a fine of around $4,000 or both.
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