The tenet that marriage should only be entered into with the free and full consent of both parties has been reiterated across human rights treaties over time, including the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
However, the world is not on track to eliminate child and forced marriage by 2030, as committed by nations as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Through this inquiry, the Committee learnt of the work undertaken by the Australian Government on child and forced marriage in recent years, situated as it is among broader human trafficking and modern slavery issues. This an issue that has been viewed from several perspectives, with a role for the Australian Government to:
work directly with other countries to provide assistance in the elimination of child and forced marriage;
raise awareness and ensure that the issue is kept on the agenda across multilateral forums and bodies, including the United Nations; and
respond to cases of child and forced marriage with Australia, and those affecting Australians when overseas.
Assistance to make progress on the issues that underlie child and forced marriage practices is also needed. The Committee has heard through contributions to its inquiry that open community dialogue, education and women’s empowerment can shift social norms and create environments that discourage the practice.
The Committee was grateful for the informed advice that was provided to it in submissions and hearings from NGOs that are operating in this area. The Committee thanks Anti-Slavery Australia, ACRATH and Walk Free for their valuable contributions.
The Committee also thanks the Australian Government officials for their contribution to the Committee’s work. While the Committee has focused on the international advocacy that Australia undertakes, child and forced marriage is an issue that involves a wide range of government departments, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Federal Police, Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force.
The Hon Kevin Andrews MP
Chair
Human Rights Sub-Committee