January 23, 2013
Please note that this summary document was designed to help you familiarize yourself with the policy database and to assist in developing your research questions. If you have a specific question regarding coding rules, methods or assumptions for a particular variable of interest, please contact the database manager: ilona.vincent@mcgill.ca
The Child Marriage Policy Database captures the minimum age for marriage around the globe. It also identifies whether exceptions can be made to minimum age laws, and for what reasons. Because the database is coded both for girls and for boys, it is possible to analyze gender inequalities in age of marriage.
The Marriage Database was created by first reading the most recent reports submitted by countries to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) monitoring committees, including question and answer periods, as well as the reports detailing the committees’ concluding observations. This review was conducted in early 2011 and included all reports for sessions held as of 2005. For countries where data was not available or incomplete, information was drawn from legislative sources listed through the country’s own government or legislative websites, as well as through legal reference sites.
Currently Child Marriage data are available for 2012.
1.
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)- http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/sessions.htm
2.
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/sessions.htm
3.
Lexadin World Law Guide: http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.php
4.
Foreign Law Guide http://www.foreignlawguide.com
5.
Emory Law Legal Profiles http://www.law.emory.edu/ifl/legal
6.
Guide Pratique International de l’Etat Civil http://www.ciec1.org/GuidePratique/index.htm
7.
Legislation of INTERPOL Member States on Sexual Offences against Children https://www.interpol.int/Public/Children/SexualAbuse/NationalLaws/Default.asp
Note that all age of marriage variables are duplicated to capture policies for both males and females for the following questions:
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January 23, 2013
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What is the general minimum age of marriage?
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What is the minimum age of marriage with parental consent?
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What is the minimum age of marriage when exceptions to general minimum age are taken into account?
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What constitutes an acceptable exception for the minimum age of marriage?
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Does the minimum age for marriage vary, and if so, how?
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What is the youngest age at which one can marry according to the age variance?
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