In this episode, Charlotte is joined by Naomi Wiseman, barrister at Garden Court Chambers specialising in violence against women and girls and Payzee Malika, award-winning activist and survivor of child marriage. They reflect on their long-fought campaign to increase the age of marriage and criminalise child marriage in England and Wales. Alongside a coalition of amazing women’s organisations representing women and children from all backgrounds, they campaigned to change the law and they were successful.
The Pauline Latham MP Bill came into effect in 2022. Until recently, children were able to marry at the age of 16 with parental consent, which campaigners warned is a ‘child marriage’. It also leaves girls in particular at risk of being coerced into forced marriages. The law now makes it an offence to marry a child and it applies to both registered marriages and unregistered ceremonial events. Together they discuss how to bring about legal change to advance the rights of women and girls.