Up to 15% of Newborns in Egypt Are Born to Child Mothers

The Ministry of Health and Population has proposed tougher legal measures to combat child marriage, including reclassifying the practice as a felony and removing the statute of limitations for prosecutions.

Speaking at a roundtable organised by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Deputy Minister of Health and Population Dr. Abla El-Alfy said child marriage remains a significant public health and social challenge, noting that up to 15% of births in Egypt are to mothers who are still children.

El-Alfy said Egypt's Child Law defines childhood as lasting until the age of 18 but does not explicitly criminalise child marriage with clear penalties. While Article 154 of the Personal Status Law sets the minimum legal marriage age at 18, she called for a standalone law to strengthen enforcement and accelerate legal action against offenders.

The deputy minister also highlighted Minya Governorate as a priority area, where child marriage rates are estimated at 20% to 25%. She stressed that legislative reforms should be accompanied by public awareness efforts, pointing to the ministry's 'Her Childhood is Her Right' campaign as part of broader efforts to end the practice.

The roundtable brought together representatives from government agencies, Parliament, international organisations and child protection specialists to discuss legislative approaches to addressing child marriage in Egypt.