Senators and technical advisors hear key arguments in defense of the rights of children and adolescents.
In a decisive step towards the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents in Bolivia, Senator Virginia Velasco promoted a technical meeting to socialize the bill that proposes to eliminate all exceptions that currently allow marriage or union with minors under 18 years of age. The initiative was coordinated jointly with Ipas Bolivia and took place on April 9, 2025, in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia, where senators and their technical teams heard firsthand the legal and social foundations of the proposal.
The event was supported by Dr. Malena Morales, Country Director of Ipas Bolivia, and Dr. Monica Baya, Technical Secretary of the Human Rights Community. Malena Morales, Country Director of Ipas Bolivia, and Dr. Monica Baya, Technical Secretary of the Human Rights Community. Both experts shared in-depth analyses of the consequences of early and forced marriages and unions (MUITF) from a comprehensive perspective that includes sexual and reproductive health, social development, the current international legal framework and the impact on the life project.
During the session, it became clear that early marriage is a form of violence and a serious violation of human rights. Girls and adolescents who enter into these unions often face a cycle of exclusion that limits their access to education, health, economic autonomy and their full development as citizens.
The legislative proposal seeks to eliminate the legal violations that currently allow justifying or validating these unions under certain circumstances, which perpetuates harmful cultural practices and violates the international commitments assumed by the Bolivian State in terms of human rights and child protection.
“These types of spaces for dialogue, information and awareness are essential to legislate with knowledge and commitment to our children and adolescents. We are committed to the approval of this bill. “Virginia Velasco, senator of the legislative initiative, emphasized the importance of deconstructing a solid regulation that guarantees a development free of violence for all girls and adolescents in Bolivia.
The socialization of the project represents a fundamental step towards a fairer and more protective legal framework, in which children are no longer subject to decisions that compromise their future. With the support of civil society organizations, human rights specialists and committed legislative actors, the way is open towards a more equitable and secure Bolivia for all people, without exceptions.
