The amendment to the Constitution of Somalia means that people under this age will be considered physically mature, but will remain, for example, under the care of state institutions dealing with youth.
This may particularly affect the fate of underage women, who will be able to get married earlier than before, which will deprive them of the opportunity to study and endanger their health. This aroused opposition from Human Rights Watch, which appealed to countries subsidizing the Somali budget to press for the rejection of the constitutional amendments.
Somalia. Lowering the age of majority is contrary to the UN
Lowering the age of majority and setting the upper legal limit for childhood at fifteen years is contrary to Somalia’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Persons who are fifteen years of age or older will be subject to arrest, temporary deprivation of liberty and the highest penalties, on an equal footing with other adults.
Somalia’s constitution is provisional. Saturday’s changes to the constitution also increase the powers of the president, who will now be able to appoint and dismiss the prime minister without parliament’s consent.
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Mr./IAR
