10th June 2025
- Raise the legal age of marriage to 18, without exceptions
- Close legal loopholes that allow child marriage through parental or judicial consent
- Adopt multisectoral policies to address the root causes of early and forced unions
On April 23, 2025, Bolivia’s National Senate approved Bill No. 092-24, which seeks to eliminate legal exceptions that currently allow marriage from the age of 16. If passed by the Chamber of Deputies, the bill would establish 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage, with no exceptions. This would move Bolivia one step closer to ending child marriage.
This new policy brief by Equality Now explains why this legislative reform is urgent and what is at stake if action is delayed. It provides a detailed analysis of the harmful impacts of child marriage in Bolivia and the Latin America and Caribbean region, and offers concrete legal and policy recommendations to bring Bolivia’s framework into alignment with international and regional human rights standards.
Drawing on national data, international best practices, and comparative legal developments across Latin America and the Caribbean, the brief makes a compelling case for action to prohibit child marriage in Bolivia.