After 17 years of efforts by advocacy groups and eight failed attempts, Colombian lawmakers have passed a bill banning child marriage, known as They are Girls, Not Wives. The law, passed after a long debate, prohibits marriage for anyone under 18. This new law closes a 137-year-old loophole that allowed minors to marry with parental consent or form informal unions after cohabiting for two years.

Jennifer Pedraza, a congresswoman who co-authored the bill, called it a historic step for protecting children’s rights. Colombia now joins 12 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have banned child marriage. UNICEF reports that 4.5 million Colombian women married before age 18, with one million marrying before 15. The practice has been linked to poverty, domestic violence, and a patriarchal culture where girls are often seen as future mothers from a young age.

Despite economic progress, child marriage remained common due to entrenched cultural beliefs, internal conflict, and economic inequality. Advocacy groups emphasized that public policy changes, including education, are needed to make the law effective and address the practice’s root causes.