[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.23.24_417d3499-scaled.jpg” title_text=”WhatsApp image 2025-07-01 at 11.23.24_417d3499″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
With the objective of making visible and debating the serious consequences of early and forced marriages and child unions (MUITF) in the country, a dialogue was held on Monday, June 30, organized by Ipas Bolivia, the Foundation for Journalism, the Association of Journalists of La Paz, the Circle of Women Journalists, the Human Rights Community and the Women’s Coordinating Committee.<\/p>\n
The meeting warned about how this practice continues to take away the childhood, health, education and future of thousands of girls in Bolivia. Even today, the Code of Families and Family Process allows 16-year-old adolescents to marry with the consent of those exercising parental authority, a legal exception that organizations, activists and now also journalists are seeking to eliminate, based on international recommendations. <\/p>\n
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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial portrait_url=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.24.08_b8057029-scaled.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“MUITFs <\/em>are any union in which one of the partners is under the age of 18<\/em>,” explained Malena Morales, country director of Ipas Bolivia. “This practice is deeply naturalized, and we should not wait for thousands of cases to react. It is enough for us to be concerned if a girl is harmed. <\/em>“, he emphasized.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.24.07_cf03b7d8-scaled.jpg” title_text=”WhatsApp image 2025-07-01 at 11.24.07_cf03b7d8″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n According to data from the Ombudsman’s Office, between 2014 and 2024, 4,804 marriages of adolescents aged 16 to 17 were recorded. The consequences are alarming. Between 2020 and 2023, 8,855 pregnancies were reported in children under 15 years old and more than 139 thousand pregnancies in adolescents between 15 and 19 years old. In 2024, 240 girls under 10 gave birth. Girls under 16 are four times more likely to die from maternal causes than women over 20. <\/p>\n The damage is not limited to the physical. Depression, dropping out of school, poverty, sexually transmitted infections (18,325 cases reported in 2024, data provided by Ipas Bolivia – National Health Information System – SNIF) and economic dependence are part of a cycle that marks the lives of thousands of girls and adolescents. <\/p>\n During the event, Senator Virginia Velasco, promoter of the bill to ban MUITFs, reiterated her commitment to children. The bill has already been approved by the Senate and is expected to be passed by the Chamber of Deputies before the end of the legislature in November. <\/strong><\/p>\n The technical secretary of the Human Rights Community, M\u00f3nica Bay\u00e1, denounced that there are even marriages under the age of 16. “We hope that the law protects girls and adolescents, not abusers<\/em>,” she said.<\/p>\n From Ipas Bolivia, Morales insisted that the solution not only lies in legal reform, but also in guaranteeing access to health, education, economic support for families and the empowerment of girls. “We cannot continue to allow girls to be seen as a bargaining chip<\/em>,” he concluded.<\/p>\n This dialogue reinforces the urgent call for action. The convening organizations, institutions and media recalled that MUITFs are not part of any tradition worth preserving, but a form of violence that must end. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.24.08_277f4aad-scaled.jpg” title_text=”WhatsApp image 2025-07-01 at 11.24.08_277f4aad” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.24.08_6d3e9012-scaled.jpg” title_text=”WhatsApp image 2025-07-01 at 11.24.08_6d3e9012″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Imagen-de-WhatsApp-2025-07-01-a-las-11.24.09_424fc03d-scaled.jpg” title_text=”WhatsApp image 2025-07-01 at 11.24.09_424fc03d” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the objective of making visible and debating the serious consequences of early and forced marriages and child unions (MUITF) in the country, a dialogue was held on Monday, June 30, organized by Ipas Bolivia, the Foundation for Journalism, the Association of Journalists of La Paz, the Circle of Women Journalists, the Human Rights Community […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":4570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Con el objetivo de visibilizar y debatir las graves consecuencias de los Matrimonios y Uniones Infantiles Tempranas y Forzadas (MUITF) en el pa\u00eds, este lunes, 30 de junio, se llev\u00f3 a cabo un di\u00e1logo organizado por Ipas Bolivia, la Fundaci\u00f3n para el Periodismo, la Asociaci\u00f3n de Periodistas de La Paz, el C\u00edrculo de Mujeres Periodistas, la Comunidad de Derechos Humanos y la Coordinadora de la Mujer.<\/p> El encuentro alert\u00f3 sobre c\u00f3mo esta pr\u00e1ctica sigue arrebatando la ni\u00f1ez, la salud, la educaci\u00f3n y el futuro de miles de ni\u00f1as en Bolivia. A\u00fan hoy, el C\u00f3digo de las Familias y del Proceso Familiar permite que adolescentes de 16 a\u00f1os puedan casarse con el consentimiento de quienes ejercen la autoridad parental, una excepci\u00f3n legal que organizaciones, activistas y, ahora tambi\u00e9n, periodistas buscan eliminar, bas\u00e1ndose en recomendaciones internacionales.<\/p> \u201cLos MUITF <\/em>son cualquier uni\u00f3n en la que una de las personas contrayentes es menor de 18 a\u00f1os<\/em>\u201d, explic\u00f3 Malena Morales, directora pa\u00eds de Ipas Bolivia. \u201cEsta pr\u00e1ctica est\u00e1 profundamente naturalizada, y no deber\u00edamos esperar miles de casos para reaccionar. Basta con que una ni\u00f1a sea lastimada para preocuparnos<\/em>\u201d, destac\u00f3.<\/p> Seg\u00fan datos de la Defensor\u00eda del Pueblo, entre 2014 y 2024 se registraron 4.804 matrimonios de adolescentes de 16 a 17 a\u00f1os. Las consecuencias son alarmantes. Entre 2020 y 2023 se reportaron 8.855 embarazos en menores de 15 a\u00f1os y m\u00e1s de 139 mil embarazos en adolescentes de 15 a 19 a\u00f1os. En 2024, 240 ni\u00f1as menores de 10 a\u00f1os dieron a luz. Las menores de 16 tienen cuatro veces m\u00e1s riesgo de morir por causas maternas que mujeres mayores de 20 a\u00f1os.<\/p> El da\u00f1o no se limita a lo f\u00edsico. Depresi\u00f3n, abandono escolar, pobreza, infecciones de transmisi\u00f3n sexual (18.325 casos reportados en 2024, datos brindados por Ipas Bolivia - Sistema Nacional de Informaci\u00f3n en Salud - SNIF) y dependencia econ\u00f3mica son parte de un ciclo que marca la vida de miles de ni\u00f1as y adolescentes.<\/p> Durante el evento, la senadora Virginia Velasco, promotora del proyecto de ley para prohibir los MUITF, reiter\u00f3 su compromiso con la ni\u00f1ez. El proyecto ya fue aprobado por el Senado y se espera que la C\u00e1mara de Diputados lo apruebe antes del cierre de la legislatura en noviembre.<\/strong><\/p> La secretaria t\u00e9cnica de la Comunidad de Derechos Humanos, M\u00f3nica Bay\u00e1, denunci\u00f3 que incluso existen matrimonios por debajo de los 16 a\u00f1os. \u201cEsperamos que la ley proteja a las ni\u00f1as y adolescentes, no a los abusadores<\/em>\u201d, afirm\u00f3.<\/p> Desde Ipas Bolivia, Morales insisti\u00f3 en que la soluci\u00f3n no solo pasa por una reforma legal, sino tambi\u00e9n por garantizar acceso a salud, educaci\u00f3n, apoyo econ\u00f3mico a las familias y el empoderamiento de las ni\u00f1as. \u201cNo podemos seguir permitiendo que las ni\u00f1as sean vistas como moneda de cambio<\/em>\u201d, concluy\u00f3.<\/p> Este di\u00e1logo refuerza el llamado urgente a la acci\u00f3n. Las organizaciones, instituciones y medios de comunicaci\u00f3n convocantes recordaron que los MUITF no son parte de ninguna tradici\u00f3n digna de ser preservada, sino una forma de violencia que debe terminar.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipas-in-action"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasbolivia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}