Advocacy Actions You Can Take
Sign Zonta’s petition to hold the Canadian government accountable for its commitments
Sign the Zonta International Canada Caucus petition “End Child Marriage in Canada: raise the legal age to 18, no exceptions”.
Get involved with Advocacy Actions to End Child Marriage in Canada
Child marriage is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. While child marriage is less common in Canada than in some other parts of the world, it still occurs and needs to be addressed. Here are some advocacy actions that you can take to end child marriage in Canada:
- Raise Awareness: Launch public awareness campaigns to educate the public about the harms of child marriage.
- Policy Advocacy: Demand laws that set a minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions.
- Education: Promote comprehensive sex education and identify at-risk students in schools.
- Engage Leaders: Work with religious and community leaders to oppose child marriage.
- Research: Disseminate data on child marriage prevalence and causes to inform advocacy efforts.
- Legal Aid: Partner with legal aid organizations to help victims seek annulment or divorce.
- Youth Empowerment: Empower youth to advocate against child marriage and engage in policy work.
- International Collaboration: Collaborate with global organizations and governments to share best practices.
- Grassroots Mobilisation: Engage local communities and organizations to combat child marriage.
- Media Engagement: Use media outlets to raise awareness and share stories.
Ending child marriage in Canada requires a concerted effort from government agencies, civil society organizations, communities and individuals. It’s essential to approach this issue with cultural sensitivity and respect, and a commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of all children.
Report Child Abuse
Forced marriage. A forced marriage occurs when a person does not want to marry, but is made to marry by someone else. It is not the same as an arranged marriage, where both people consent to the marriage.
Using physical violence, threats of violence, abduction, forced confinement or emotional abuse to force someone to marry against one’s will is a crime in Canada. It is also a crime to take a person under 18 years of age out of Canada to force them to marry in another country. If you or someone you know is being forced to marry, tell someone you trust or contact the police or a social worker.
Underage marriage. Canadian law requires anyone getting married to be 16 years old or over. This minimum age also applies to anyone who is ordinarily resident in Canada where the marriage takes place outside Canada, in person or by telephone or proxy. It is a crime in Canada to celebrate, aid or participate in the marriage of a child who is under 16 years of age, even if the child agrees to be married. It is also a crime to take a child under 16 who ordinarily lives in Canada, to another country to be married. If you know a child under 16 who will be married in Canada or taken to another country to be married, call the police or a social worker.
You can find more information on steps you can take to protect yourself from being forced into marriage on Global Affairs Canada forced marriage webpage or by calling 1-800-387-3124. That webpage also has a directory of services that may include places to get help in your province or territory.
Source: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/fv-vf/caw-mei/p10.html