In Surkhandarya region, an incident that caused public concern was recorded — in Denov district it became known that a 15-year-old underage girl had been married off. This was officially reported by the National Agency of Social Protection.
According to the information, in July the mahalla and responsible social workers learned that the parents of the still adolescent girl were preparing a wedding ceremony. Therefore, the parents were summoned and officially warned that such actions are against the law and that marrying off minors is strictly prohibited.
However, despite the ban and warning, on August 10 the girl’s wedding was held. As a result, those who organized the ceremony were fined in accordance with the law.
According to the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the legal marriage age is set at 18 years for both men and women. In some exceptional cases, a court decision may reduce it by one year. However, entering into marriage at the age of 15 is absolutely prohibited and considered a gross violation of the rights of the child.
In its statement, the National Agency of Social Protection emphasized that protecting children’s rights and preventing cases of forced marriage and violence is one of the top priorities of state policy. The agency announced that strict measures will be taken against such illegal practices and that preventive work will continue consistently in cooperation with local authorities and law enforcement agencies.
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