New bill proposes legal marriage at 18 in Rwanda

The legal age for marriage in Rwanda may be lowered from 21 to 18. The government suggested the age be revised to 18 as, at that age, a person has the right to have sexual relations but cannot legally get married.

The proposed draft law governing persons and families suggests that a person, who has reached the age of majority, but not yet the marriageable age, can apply to the civil registrar at the district level for authorization to get married if there are reasonable grounds.

In Rwanda, the age of majority is 18, which means that at this age, a person can enter contracts, sue and be sued, and be held accountable for crimes. It's also the legal age at which a person can give sexual consent.

However, Some people including the youth said that this change must encourage sexual harassment and the numerous irresponsible parents who can refuse to support their girl child after being pregnant.

Prohibited marriage

The bill in Article 196 prohibits marriage between related individuals, including direct lineal and collateral kinship up to the seventh degree, a person and their parents-in-law, adoptive parents and adoptees, and adoptive parents and the adoptee's descendants.

The bill prohibits also a marriage between an adoptee and the spouse of an adoptive parent, an adoptive parent and the spouse of an adopted person, and adopted persons from the same adoptive parent. However, the prohibition of marriage between an adopted person and the children of an adoptive parent may be lifted for serious reasons upon authorization of a civil registrar.