2017/2275(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas forced marriage is a violation of the human rights enshrined in international conventions such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform of action and International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, OHCHR Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages , and which form part of the core principles embodied in the European Union as an area of security, freedom, ~~and~~ justice and human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas according to UN estimates almost 700 million women and 150 million men are in forced marriages which were contracted before they reached majority;

Amendment 100 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6d. Condemns the reinstatement and expansion of the Global Gag Rule and its impact on women’s and girls’ health; recalls that the populations in vulnerable situations, including those who would normally be unable to access services “due to stigma, poverty, location, violence, or HIV status” are hardest hit;

Amendment 101 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6e. Strongly supports the She Decides initiative and calls on EU and Member States to step up their support to this initiative and other efforts on SRHR;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas child, early and forced marriages very often results in school drop-out, depriving women and girls of their basic rights;

Amendment 12 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas 95% of the world’s births to adolescents occur in developing countries, and nine in 10 of these births occur within marriage or a union; whereas about 19% of young women in developing countries become pregnant before age 18. Girls under 15 account for 2 million of the 7.3 million births that occur to adolescent girls under 18 every year in developing countries; whereas a pregnancy can have immediate and lasting consequences for a girl’s health, education and income-earning potential; whereas about 70,000 adolescents in developing countries die annually of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth1a; __________________ 1a‘Motherhood in Childhood. Facing the challenge of adolescent pregnancy’, report by UNFPA, 2013.

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas early marriages and forced marriages in themselves constitute an obstacle to development, and whereas the fact that such marriages continue to be arranged has held back efforts to achieve goals 1 to 6 of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular in the areas of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, poverty reduction, education, maternal and child mortality and health, including sexual and reproductive health3a; __________________ 3aResolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations of 21 November 2014 on the abolition of forced marriage.

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas, despite all the recommendations and declarations made by institutions of all kinds, early marriage continues to be a problem which disproportionately affects underage and young girls, with significant consequences for their education, employment opportunities, health and social life; whereas eradicating child marriage would be a strategic way of promoting women’s rights and empowering women;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas many cases of forced marriage are not reported or they are reported to private organisations and NGOs rather than to public authorities; whereas when cases are reported to national authorities, no consistent data collection system exists at Member State level, even though this is urgently needed;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the problem of forced marriage and the legal treatment of it has in the last few years increasingly become a major problem, as a result inter alia of the increased number of asylum seekers in many Member States;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas girls, both younger and older ones, have the right to develop their full potential as citizens, as laid down in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas preventing and responding to all forms of violence against girls and women, including early and forced marriages, is one of the targets in EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020;

Amendment 19 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas girls and women are disproportionately vulnerable to child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas forced marriage and early marriage, that is to say ‘marriage entered into without the free and valid consent of one or both spouses, or before the age of 18’1a, is a violation of the human rights enshrined in international conventions, and which form part of the core principles embodied in the European Union as an area of security, freedom, and justice; __________________ 1a United Nations Convention of 7 November 1962 on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages. Resolution 1468 (2005) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on forced marriages and child marriages.

Amendment 20 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas it has repeatedly been proven, by means of countless evidence, that early or child marriage has negative consequences for and is harmful to girls, their children and their communities; these consequences include health hazards for young mothers and their children, the increased risk of HIV infection and a greater likelihood of having lower levels of education and suffering gender-based violence and persistent poverty;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas early marriages and forced marriages pose a serious threat to the physical and mental health of women and girls, and in particular their sexual and reproductive health, by significantly increasing the risk of early, frequent and unwanted pregnancies, maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, obstetric fistula and sexually transmitted infections;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas education reduces the likelihood of child marriage and delays childbearing, leading to healthier eventual birth outcomes; whereas education prepares girls for jobs and livelihoods, raises their self-esteem and their status in their households and communities, and gives them more say in decisions that affect their lives1a; __________________ 1a‘Motherhood in Childhood. Facing the challenge of adolescent pregnancy’, report by UNFPA, 2013.

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas deep-rooted gender inequalities and stereotypes, harmful practices, perceptions, customs, and discriminatory norms are root causes of child, early and forced marriage; whereas this increases the risk of women and girls being exposed to discrimination and gender-based violence during their lives;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas there is an increasing concern about early and forced marriages in conflict-affected areas; whereas this practice tends to be justified by certain belligerent and extremist groups and has a deep impact on the health and well- being of women and girls;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas child brides are often victims of violence, suffer multiple health problems, are deprived of education and the future paid employment, therefore more likely will be poor and remain poor1a; __________________ 1a www.girlsnotbrides.org

Amendment 26 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas every year, around the world, 16 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth to a child, and as many as one million girls, at least, become mothers before reaching the age of 15;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas education is one of the most effective ways of preventing early and forced marriages, of putting an end to these practices and of helping married women and girls make choices in full knowledge of the implications for their lives; whereas it is important to promote and safeguard the right of women and girls to education;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas studies show a strong correlation between child marriage and premature childbirth; whereas fistulas are a common problem affecting teenage mothers and whereas, according to the Freedom from Fistula Foundation, some two million women in Africa suffer from obstetric fistulas;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas child, early and forced marriages have grave consequences on women and girls´ sexual and reproductive health and rights, including high rates of maternal mortality, unwanted pregnancies, low levels of family planning and sexual education and a higher risk of viral infections;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas forced marriage is a violation of the human rights enshrined in international conventions, and which form part of the core principles embodied in the European Union as an area of security, freedom, and justice; whereas child, early and forced marriage perpetuates other violations of human rights that disproportionately affect women and girls;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the second cause of death for girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years; whereas children who are born to teenage mothers are 50 % more likely to die in the first few days after the birth;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas child marriage will cost developing countries trillions of dollars by 2030 1b __________________ 1bEconomic Impacts of Child Marriage: Global Synthesis Report 2017

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)

Bd. whereas in the majority of communities that practice early and child marriage women are often the victims of the decision-making process, and whereas involving and educating community leaders and women from these communities is fundamental in changing attitudes and behaviour concerning child marriage; whereas, moreover, legislation outlawing early and forced marriage is needed;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)

Bd. whereas although forced marriages is contrary to the law throughout the EU, its exact definition varies, whereas the lack of a generally accepted definition has hindered efforts to establish data on the numbers of forced marriages in the EU;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Recital B e (new)

Be. whereas forced marriage remains a concern within the EU, whereas it is not a specific crime in most of the Member States, instead protection is provided through a combination of more general criminal provisions, such as on rape or abduction;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Recital B e (new)

Be. whereas large age differences aggravate the imbalance of power between young women and their husbands; whereas marriage before 18 years of age increases the likelihood of domestic violence;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Recital B f (new)

Bf. whereas child marriage is ingrained in some traditions and cultures, but no culture or religion can justify such a practice, particularly when human rights and the rights of children are at stake; whereas in many communities where early marriage is prevalent, men have greater privileges and girls are often regarded as a financial burden and, as a result, generally suffer low self-esteem;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Recital B g (new)

Bg. whereas inter-generational poverty is one of the most frequently cited reasons for forcing girls into child marriage; whereas parents are generally unaware of the risks of early pregnancy owing to a lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Recital B h (new)

Bh. whereas governments need to recognise the importance of combating early and child marriage in efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; whereas helping girls avoid child marriage and delay pregnancy and enabling them to attend school would give them the opportunity to improve their future skills and income, thereby helping to eradicate poverty for future generations; whereas promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment would ensure that girls have decision-making power over their family lives, and sexual and reproductive lives; whereas eradicating child and early marriage would reduce infant mortality and alleviate the wide range of health problems associated with pregnancy or early childbirth;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Recital B i (new)

Bi. whereas in respect of child marriage, as in all areas of the fight against violence against women, it is fundamental to mobilise men and boys to challenge gender discrimination and change harmful traditional practices that are deeply ingrained in the culture of a given community;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas forced marriage is a violation of the human rights enshrined in international conventions, and which form part of the core principles embodied in the European Union as an area of security, freedom, and justice; whereas early marriage is also an obstacle to the social and economic development of countries and regions;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Recital B j (new)

Bj. whereas early and child marriage remains a taboo subject which needs to be addressed publicly so as to put an end to the daily suffering of the girls and adolescents involved and the continuous violation of their human rights; whereas one way of doing so would be to support and disseminate the work of journalists, artists, photographers and activists addressing the issue of early marriages;

Amendment 41 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital B k (new)

Bk. whereas campaigns to end early marriage of girls and young women will not succeed without acceptance of the sexuality of adolescents and their right to make their own decisions about their bodies, relationships and sexual activity; whereas, for such decisions to be taken with full knowledge of the facts, information on sexuality and contraceptive methods must be made available to both adolescents and their parents;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Condemns forced marriage, early marriage and the constraints – in whatever form – imposed on teenage girls and girl children in Europe and the rest of the world, since practices of this kind constitute a serious violation of human rights and, if the victim is under 18, abuse of a minor;

Amendment 43 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Condemns forced marriage and the constraints – in whatever form – imposed on women and girls, including teenage girls and girl children in Europe and the rest of the world, since practices of this kind constitute a serious violation of human rights;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Points out that Article 37 of the Council of Europe’s 2011 Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) stipulates that the State Parties must criminalise ‘the intentional conduct of forcing an adult or a child to enter into a marriage’; deplores the fact, therefore, that only 12 EU Member States have criminalised forced marriage; 2 a __________________ 2a Psaila et al. Forced marriage from a gender perspective. Directorate General for Internal Policies. European Parliament. 2016. http://www.europarl. europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/55 6926/IPOL_STU%282016%29556926_E N.pdf

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recognises that child marriages and forced marriage have also become a real problem within the EU, requiring common, decisive and coordinated action by all Member States;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

~~2. Maintain~~Stresses that child, early, and 2. forced marriages ~~have to be conside~~ared a gross affront to the right to free consent;

Amendment 47 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Strongly condemns the reinstatement and expansion of the Mexico City Policy (so-called Global Gag Rule) by the United States in January 2017 and its impact on women’s and girls’ global health care and rights, especially in the case of child marriages; reiterates its call on the EU and its Member States to proactively support women’s and girls’ rights worldwide and to significantly increase both national and EU development funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights, in particular for access to birth control and safe and legal abortion, with a view to reducing the financing gap left by the United States in this area;

Amendment 48 #

Anna ZÁBORSKÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Notes that many parents living in distress and extreme poverty in refugee camps feel the need to protect their daughters from the threat of sexual violence by marrying them to older men; stresses however that the EU and its Member States should be united and consistent in their dismissal of the requests of refugees for legal recognition of marriages where one of the alleged spouses is a child or teenager; underlines that refugee status cannot be used as a legal backdoor to recognition of child marriages in Europe;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Emphasises the need to promote and safeguard the fundamental rights of all women and girls, in particular the right to express their sexuality and to take decisions relating to their sexuality freely and responsibly, in particular as regards their sexual and reproductive health, without facing constraints, discrimination or violence;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas child, early and forced marriage is a violation of the human rights enshrined in international conventions, and which form part of the core principles embodied in the European Union as an area of security, freedom, and justice;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Underlines the importance of awareness-raising and education as powerful tools to prevent the occurrence of child, early and forced marriages; stresses the need to address the root causes of child marriage, including gender inequality, poverty and lack of social and economic opportunities;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls that ending child, early and forced marriage is included as one of the priorities for the EU’s external action in the field of promoting women’s rights and human rights;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on Member States to actively refuse to recognise forced marriages and provide full family-independent support to victims;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Emphasises that universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) contributes to the achievement of all the health-related sustainable development goals such as prenatal care and measures to avoid high- risk births, reduce infant and child mortality; points out that access to family planning, maternal health services and safe and legal abortion services are important elements to save women´s and girls’ lives; is concerned that no EU delegations in the Middle East and North Africa and the Europe and Central Asia regions chose any SRHR-related indicator despite the important needs regarding SRHR in these regions; calls on EU delegations in these regions to re-evaluate these worrying figures to determine whether they may be linked to misreporting or if there is a need to complement current programmes with targeted actions on SRHR;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Stresses that ending child, early and forced marriages would have a large positive impact on the educational attainment of girls and their children, contribute to women having fewer children and could increase their expected earnings and household welfare;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Encourages the consideration of mandatory birth registration as the lack of registration can lead to the increase of risk of child and early marriage;

Amendment 56 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Recognises that~~Calls on the EU ~~should~~to play a major role on this human rights violation and calls on the European External Action Service and the Commission to put forward a specific strategy with a view to determining what steps need to be taken to combat early and child marriage and other practices harmful to girls, and what objectives should be set and funding earmarked expressly for that purpose in order to achieve the overall aim of eradicating the above forms of marriage by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (target 5.3); calls on the Commission and EEAS to include in the strategy the need to address gender stereotypes, discriminatory social norms and harmful practices that contribute to the acceptance and continuation of the practice of child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that the EU should play a major role in fighting these harmful practices and calls on the European External Action Service to put forward a specific strategy with a view to determining what steps need to be taken to combat early, forced and child marriage and other practices harmful to girls and women, such as female genital mutilation, so called honour crimes sex slavery and trafficking, and what objectives should be set and funding earmarked expressly for that purpose in order to achieve the overall aim of eradicating the above forms of exploitative marriage by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (target 5.3);

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that the EU should play a major role a~~nd calls on the European External Action Service~~t national, European and international level to address the phenomenon and calls on the European External Action Service to make use of all the existing instruments available as well as to put forward a specific strategy with a view to determining what steps need to be taken to combat early and child marriage and other practices harmful to girls, and what objectives should be set and funding earmarked expressly for that purpose in order to achieve the overall aim of eradicating the above forms of marriage by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (target 5.3);

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses the need of a budgetary allocations for child marriage prevention programmes that aim to create an environment where girls can achieve their full potential, including by means of education, social and economic programmes for out-of-school girls, child protection schemes, girls’ and women’s shelters, legal counselling, and psychological support;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas it is in practice hard to distinguish forced marriage from the so- called arranged marriage; whereas forced marriage is a form of violence against women that, as such, affects women because of their sex and cannot be justified on any cultural or religious grounds and should in no case be tolerated;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recommends to apply a holistic and comprehensive approach when dealing with child, early and forced marriages, i.e. addressing the root causes and extending gender mainstreaming beyond traditional sectors such as education and health and reaching out to all other policy areas;

Amendment 61 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on all Member States to ensure access to justice and accountability mechanisms and remedies to ensure the implementation of laws prohibiting child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on those Member States which have not yet done so to criminalise forced and early marriages;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Welcomes the launching of the joint EU-UN global gender initiative so- called Spotlight Initiative to address sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices such as early forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) or human trafficking; notes, however, that the Spotlight Initiative addresses mainly elements of the agenda which is already a shared concern globally; underlines therefore the need to advance gender equality in a more comprehensive way, through an adequate mix of programmes and modalities; calls on the Commission to use the midterm review of its international cooperation programmes for increasing funding of the Gender Resource Package in order to streamline gender into bilateral cooperation and through thematic programmes;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Acknowledges that most of the countries around the world have laws that set a minimum age of marriage, however stresses that many countries provide exceptions to the minimum age of marriage, mostly upon parental consent or authorisation of the court, which should be addressed by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;

Amendment 65 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to draw up an action plan to help combat child, early, and forced marriage in the context of the EU’s relations with partner and non- member countries, not least by making use of the ‘human rights clause’; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to prioritise these issues in the political dialogue with partner countries and establish concrete measures in collaboration with all key actors including the government, CSOs and other donors to eliminate harmful practices;

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to draw up an action plan to help combat child, early, and forced marriage in the context of the EU’s relations with non-member countries, not least by making use of the ‘human rights clause’; calls, further, on the Member States to encourage efforts to combat early and forced marriages in their relations with third countries;

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to draw up an action plan to help combat child, early, and forced marriage in the context of the EU’s relations with non- member countries, particularly in the fields of foreign policy, development policy and trade policy, not least by making use of the ‘human rights clause’;

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that sufficient resources are being allocated to the programmes and activities against early and forced marriages in their external actions; encourages the EU Delegations to fulfil the EU’s commitment on Gender Action Plan 2016-2020, to closely monitor the situation and to develop relevant programmes in support of local legislative actions;

Amendment 69 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Emphasises the central role of mothers in the emancipation of their daughters and the prevention of forced marriage - even within Europe; calls for the expansion and promotion by the EU of so-called ‘MotherSchools’ - correspondingly successful pilot projects in Lower Franconia / Bavaria - to sensitise mothers to the dangers of radical ideologies and to prevent them at an early stage;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas, given that a minor aged under 18 cannot validly consent to marriage, child marriages must be regarded as forced marriages; whereas it is regrettable, therefore, that 144 out of 193 countries have no law banning child marriages;

Amendment 70 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points out that community contacts at local level are essential in helping to overcome traditional and discriminatory attitudes regarding education for girls, thereby improving women’s employment prospects for the purposes of ensuring their own livelihoods and those of their families;

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to integrate a gender perspective into peacebuilding and post- conflict reconstruction programs, to develop economic livelihood and education programmes for girls and women who are the victims of early and forced marriages, and to facilitate their access to health and reproductive services in conflict-affected areas;

Amendment 72 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Encourages the development of information programmes involving all community leaders, educating them with regard to the harmful effects of traditions such as early marriage, so that they can subsequently play an active role in raising awareness within their communities;

Amendment 73 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Stresses the urgent need to inform and educate men and boys, winning their support for measures to uphold human rights, including the rights of children and women;

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take integrated, comprehensive and coordinated measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls, including child, early, and forced marriage, and, in particular by enhancing child protection mechanisms and facilitating access to justice and exchanging good practices, to offer girls, adolescent girls and women who are already married forms of protection such as safe reception centres;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls, including child, early, and forced marriage and to put in place the adequate service and measures to prevent, protect and support victims while providing greater support and funding for those NGOs working for the elimination of these practices;

Amendment 76 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on Member States to guarantee migrant women and girls an autonomous residence permit which is not dependent of the status of their spouse or partner, in particular for victims of physical and psychological violence including forced or arranged marriages, and to guarantee that all administrative measures are taken to protect them, including effective access to assistance and protection mechanisms;

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt measures which discourage parents – be they EU citizens or not – from offering their under-age daughters as brides, both through trips to their respective countries of origin and – worse still – within the borders of the EU itself, and where necessary to punish those parents;

Amendment 78 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the need to develop empowerment programmes for girls and young women as a key strategy for the prevention and discouragement of early marriage, improving both their self- esteem and their awareness of their rights, including the legal right to refuse marriage:

Amendment 79 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to launch awareness raising campaigns on the phenomenon, its consequences and available legal remedies throughout the EU, including in the refugee camps as well as in the candidate countries;

Amendment 8 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Angelika MLINAR

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas all little girls have the right to be able to live out their childhood in full, playing, benefiting from the right to education, being protected from violence, physical and psychological damage and abuse and exploitation of all kinds;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Welcomes the introduction, as part of the Schengen Information System, of a new alert which can be used to protect children at risk of forced marriage;

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Proposes the express inclusion of forced marriage as a form of trafficking in human beings in Article 2 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and to develop a shared policy and common definition of forced marriage which should be used consistently at national and European level in policies, civil and criminal law provisions on forced marriage;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Believes that increasing the number of women in political and economic decision-making positions can help to ensure the necessary legislation and increased support for institutions and civil society organisations working to prevent early and forced marriage;

Amendment 83 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the Member States to establish structures and programmes to support, assist and protect the victims of child, early and forced marriages;

Amendment 84 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Stresses the importance of increasing child-sponsoring programmes in developing countries, a strategy that has already proved effective in supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, helping to break the cycle of violence and poverty, and possibly playing an important role in reduction of child marriage; noting that education is one of the most effective ways of combating child marriages and that, according to studies, the longer a girl stays in school, the less likely she is to marry or become mother early on in life;

Amendment 85 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Calls once again on Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia and United Kingdom to ratify the Istanbul Convention and reminds that in line with the requirements of this Convention, when victims are brought into another country and as a result of the forced marriage they have lost their right to reside in the EU, they should be granted effective ways to return to the EU Member States and regain their residence status;

Amendment 86 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the effective implementation of the EU Victims’ Directive in particular by improving access for victims of violence against women to general and specialised victim support and to put in place effective reporting mechanisms to encourage victims of forced marriage to report the offence while respecting the anonymity and confidentiality of victims as well as preventing further stigmatisation;

Amendment 87 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Stresses that, while focusing on the prevention of early marriage, the EU, Member States and third countries should also support young women who are already married, helping them to become aware of their sexual and reproductive rights and their rights to contraception, for example;

Amendment 88 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Urges Member States and third countries to prohibit and criminalise early and forced marriage by raising the minimum legal age to 18 years, irrespective of parental approval, requiring the full consent of both spouses and penalising those who coerce another person into marriage;

Amendment 89 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5f. Points to the need to make European funds for external action dependent on effective implementation of measures to eradicate early and forced marriage;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas despite commitments at international, national and regional levels, child, early and forced marriage remain widespread across the world;

Amendment 90 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to set up a European database to monitor and report forced marriage and other forms of violations of gender-based human rights, including sexual exploitation.

Amendment 91 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the EU and Member States to work together with UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA and other partners, including CSOs, diaspora and migrant associations to bring attention to the issue of CEFM by focusing on women’s empowerment, including through education, economic empowerment and enhanced participation to decision- making, as well as on the protection and promotion of the human rights of all women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health;

Amendment 92 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to carry out a systematic and rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of its existing programmes and use of available funding for the prevention of early marriage and ensuring that the programmes are implemented in regions and countries where child marriages are most prevalent;

Amendment 93 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to set up a consistent data collection system on child, early and forced marriages, including sex- desegregated data, as robust and reliable data are essential to an evidence-based policy making and better targeted interventions;

Amendment 94 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to draw up specific studies based on the data collected, in order to have a clear picture of the phenomenon at EU level, with specific information for each individual Member State;

Amendment 95 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to monitor the cases of child, early and forced marriages within the EU caused by recent migration crisis and to consider establishing unified legal standards with regard to the procedure for dealing with cases of child and early marriages;

Amendment 96 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on the Commission to pay special attention to respect for women’s and girls’ rights in all trade and partnership agreements with third countries;

Amendment 97 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6c. Calls on the EU and the Member States to ensure facilities and training to health workers to provide confidential and non-judgmental youth-friendly services, information and supplies that fulfil the WHO standards of equitability, accessibility, acceptability, appropriateness and effectiveness;

Amendment 98 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Calls on the Member States to ensure appropriate forms of protection for all victims of forced, child and early marriages, with the assistance of qualified staff such as midwives, gynaecologists, psychologists and social workers, who should be strictly female;

Amendment 99 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Emphasises the negative influence of humanitarian crisis, conflicts and natural disasters on the child and early marriages, therefore stresses the need to combine development and humanitarian efforts;

source: 618.326

2018/03/08 AFET 232 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)

– having regard to Article10(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)

– having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence - the Istanbul Convention - and articles 32 and 37 therein,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement while fully taking into account the legal national measures covering marriages at the age of 16 requiring the consent of their parents and public authorities;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement; points out that they could, for example, promote the registration of marriages and births as a way of implementing those laws;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to ~~set~~consider setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years - noting that some EU Member States allow marriage at 16 years with parental consent - and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement; also considers that any infringement of this legislation should be addressed in a proportionate and effective manner;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement; calls on lawmakers to introduce severe penalties where the above requirements are violated;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement; in case of doubt, calls for a medical age test, when a marriage is to be acknowledged;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in ~~the EU~~EU Member States and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Condemns any form of psychological or physical acts of coercion and violence which lead to child, early or forced marriage and calls for the perpetrators of such behaviour to face appropriate sanction according to domestic law and in line with international conventions;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls for the EU and Member States to meet the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda to combat harmful practices more effectively and to hold those responsible to account;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs, the lack of educational opportunities, the lack of appropriate legislation and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned; considers that this approach also particularly applies to those countries where child marriage is accompanied by other harmful traditional traditions, such as female genital mutilation, and therefore that it is necessary to insist without delay on the application of clear legislation, strict measures and changing attitudes which ought to put a stop to harmful traditions that affect, and cause suffering to, millions of girls;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 c (new)

– having regard to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of child, early and forced marriage, including age~~-old traditions having~~ndered social norms and traditions, customs, stereotypes and harmful practises which have little regard for gender equality and women’s a~~ffair~~nd girls’ rights, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned, conflict or post-conflict settings, lack of knowledge of both the parents and children about sexual and reproductive rights and the health risks of early pregnancy;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned; calls in that regard for the EU and the Member States to work together with UN Women, UN Children´s Fund, UNFPA and other partners to bring attention to the issue of CEFM;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned; believes that the special attention must be paid to children from disadvantaged communities;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of child, early and forced marriage, including age-old traditions, poverty, conflict, and the consequences of natural disasters, having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including harmful age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality ~~and~~, women’s ~~affairs~~rights, health and wellbeing, the lack of educational opportunities, weak legal and policy responses, and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned;

Amendment 115 #

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including ~~age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs,~~ the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to tackle the multiple causes of early and forced marriage, including age-old religious traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes it is important to comprehensively tackle th~~e multipl~~e causes of early and forced marriage, including ~~age-old traditions having little regard for gender equality and women’s affairs~~practices which fail to incorporate gender equality, the lack of educational opportunities and, very often, the endemic poverty in the communities concerned;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that a statutory ban on child, early and forced marriage by itself would not guarantee an end to this practice and therefore calls for every effort to be made to enforce such bans and complement them with other measures; recognises this requires the adoption of comprehensive and holistic policies, strategies and programmes, including the repeal of discriminatory legal provisions concerning marriage, the adoption of affirmative measures to empower girl children, and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health care and information for all girls and women;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15

– having regard to the European Consensus on Development (2017), which underscores the EU’s commitment to mainstreaming human rights and gender equality in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that a statutory ban on child, early and forced marriage by itself would not guarantee an end to this practice, and therefore calls on the EU and its Member States to better coordinate the enforcement of international treaties and legislation, as well as via diplomatic relations with governments and organisations in third countries, in order to address issues relating to child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 121 #

3. Recognises that a statutory ban on early and forced marriage by itself would not guarantee an end to this practice; considers any sexual conduct as abusive, if one partner is under the age of 16 and the other is older than 21 regarding the fact that marriages not acknowledged in the EU could be continuously practiced;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that a statutory ban on early and forced marriage by itself would not guarantee an end to this practice; believes therefore that a broader set of laws and policies is required to protect girls at risk of child marriage and support married girls;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that a statutory ban on early and forced marriage by itself would not guarantee an end to this practice; and that implementation of such measures is thus crucial;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Demands deeper cooperation between the EU, its Member States, and third countries to ensure the safe return of EU citizens taken abroad to marry; further encourages robust monitoring mechanisms for those children and young people considered to be most at risk;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the ~~lack of respect for~~imbalance of power between men and women and boys and girls, a~~nd women in general~~s well as discrimination against women and girls, is one of the biggest obstacles to combating child, early and forced marriage and calls for it to be addressed in all the EU’s relevant programming and in the EU’s political dialogues with partner countries as well as through education and awareness- raising efforts in partner countries;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of respect for girls and women in general is one of the biggest obstacles to combating child, early and forced marriage; further recognises the link between child, early and forced marriage and honour-based violence and calls for such crimes to be properly investigated and for the prosecution of those accused;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of respect for girls and women in general and stubborn adherence to cultural and social traditions which perpetuate discrimination against girls and women is one of the biggest obstacles to combating early and forced marriage;

Amendment 128 #

4. Notes that ~~the lack of respect for girls and women in general is one of~~gender inequality and low value accorded to girls are the biggest obstacles to combating early and forced marriage;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to work with partner countries to improve access to education for girls and women, and to strengthen opportunities for them to participate in community, development, economic, and political leadership programmes, as a way to tackle issues relating to child, early, and forced marriage;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas early and forced marriage has a very negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage; whereas according to the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017 child and forced marriage is a harmful practice which violates, abuses and impairs human rights and is linked to and perpetuates other harmful practices, including female genital mutilation, and human rights violations, whereas child marriage is also a violation of the rights of children;

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Supports increased funding from the EU and its Member States via development aid mechanisms which promote gender equality and education, with a view to addressing the causes of child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Notes that boys and young men can also be victims of child, early or forced marriage, and related honour- based violence, and calls on the EU and its Member States to work with partner countries to provide appropriate mechanisms to tackle such cases;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role; calls on the EU and the Member States to work with law enforcement authorities and judicial systems in third countries, and to provide training and technical assistance to help with the adoption and enforcement of the legislation prohibiting early and forced marriages;

Amendment 133 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role, in cooperation with regional organisations and local communities, in eliminating legislation, social standards and cultural traditions which act as a brake on the rights and freedoms of young girls and women;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role; calls upon EU Member States to contribute to initiatives such as the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role; notably in the field of providing information on the consequences of an early marriage;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle child, early and forced marriage, thsome European Union~~, as a major actor~~ Member States are playing a leading global ~~development, must play a leading rol~~role through domestic legislation and programmes, including by criminalizing forced marriage;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle child, early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role;

Amendment 138 #

Hans-Olaf HENKEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development and human rights, must play a leading role;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation; with that in mind, urges the Member States to provide refugee and displaced children with specialist child protection services that take account of the particular vulnerabilities and specific protection requirements that children have, especially children who have been forced to flee violence and persecution, unaccompanied children or those who have been separated from their families, and further urges the Member States to include protection and response measures to combat child, early and forced marriages;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas early and forced marriage ~~has~~are a fundamental violation of human rights and have a very negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage; whereas early and forced marriage are a denial of the right to autonomy over their own bodies and their bodily integrity; whereas child marriage is a form of forced marriage since children inherently lack the ability to give their full, free and informed consent to their marriage or its timing;

Amendment 140 #

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ~~ban on~~complete ban on child, early and forced marriage in their legislation, irrespective of parental consent, requiring the full consent of both spouses and setting sanctions for those who coerce someone to marry, education for all relevant professionals on the issue of child, early and forced marriage, clear mandate for the police and social services to prevent and retrieve a child that is taken away abroad for marriage and the sufficient resources to this aim, sufficient and long term support for women's shelters, so that no-one is denied protection due to lack of resources;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation; also calls on the Member States to cooperate with the civil society in order to coordinate their actions on the issue;

Amendment 142 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation and to enforce the minimum age for marriage set by legislation;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation and to monitor the situation using disaggregated data;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to ratify the Istanbul convention and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on ~~all~~those EU Member States ~~to be consistent and~~who have not already done so, to include a ban on child, early and forced marriage in their domestic legislation;

Amendment 146 #

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation and to enforce penal law;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, therefore, on ~~all~~the Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Reiterates that child, early and forced marriages should be regarded as a serious infringement of the fundamental rights of the children concerned, first and foremost of the right freely to express their consent and the right to their integrity and physical and mental health, but indirectly also the right to education and to the full enjoyment of civil and political rights;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Encourages the development of bilateral programmes between the EU, its Member States, and partner countries aimed at introducing or strengthening legislation designed to address issues relating to child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of ~~minors~~children; whereas child, early and forced marriage violates human rights and fundamental freedoms, is a discriminatory practice and manifestation of women’s and girls’ unequal status in society, and has negative health effects (including physical, psychological, emotional, social, economic); whereas early and forced marriage has a very negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage;

Amendment 150 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recommends that Member States align their legislation on the treatment of ~~immigrants who married before the age of 18~~all third country nationals present in the EU who married before the age of 18, while fully taking into account the marriages at the age of 16 resulting from the legal national measures requiring the consent of their parents and public authorities, and not recognise early and forced marriages, while extending humanitarian treatment to those who were forced to get married before the age of 18; calls for special procedures to be put in place in refugees and asylum seeker reception centres;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recommends that Member States align their legislation on the treatment of immigrants who married before the age of 18 and ~~not recognise early and forced marriages~~introduce a child-centred case management system to determine the best interest of the child, based on which the decision on the legal recognition of the marriage can be taken, while extending humanitarian treatment to those who married before the age of 18;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recommends that Member States align their legislation on the treatment of immigrants who married before the age of 18 and not recognise early and forced marriages, while extending humanitarian treatment to those who married before the age of 18, and guaranteeing protection in cases in which the women or girls involved demand the dissolution of the forced marriage;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recommends that Member States align their legislation on the treatment of immigrants who married before the age of 18 and ~~not recognise early and forced marriages, while~~ extend~~ing~~ humanitarian treatment to those who married by force or before the age of 18;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recommends that Member States ~~align their~~' legislation on the treatment of immigrants ~~who married before the age of 18 and~~does not recognise child, early and forced marriages, while extending humanitarian ~~treatmen~~support to those who ~~married before the age of 18~~have experienced such a practice;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Recommends that Member States increase access to sexual and reproductive health services and family planning programmes to all communities, including those more at risk;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – introductory part

8. ~~Calls on~~Urges the European Union, in the context of its foreign policy and its development cooperation policy, to ~~offer~~develop a strategic pact to submit to its partners, making use also of the ‘human rights clause’, and to that end to require that:

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a

a. all its partner countries prohibit early and forced marriage, including the removal of any provisions that could allow, justify or give rise to child, early or forced marriages, including those that enable the perpetrators of rape, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, abduction, people trafficking or modern forms of slavery to escape prosecution and punishment if they marry their victims, specifically by repealing or amending those laws;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a

a. all its partner countries prohibit child, early and forced marriage and eliminate any legal loopholes in the legislation;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a

a. all its partner countries ~~prohibit~~commit to prohibiting child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas child, early and forced marriage has a very negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage, and is recognised as child abuse, domestic abuse, a form of violence against both women and men, and ultimately a serious abuse of human rights;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b

b. this prohibition is respected in practice once the law has entered into force, and that comprehensive and holistic strategies and programmes are put in place to prevent and eradicate child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b

b. this prohibition is respected in practice once the law has entered into force, notably through ensuring access to justice and accountability mechanisms and remedies;

Amendment 162 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b

b. this prohibition is respected in practice once the law has entered into force, through the establishment of progressive targets that can be specifically measured;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b

b. this prohibition is respected at all levels in practice once the law has entered into force;

Amendment 164 #

Hans-Olaf HENKEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b

b. this prohibition is respected and enforced in practice once the law has entered into force;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b a (new)

ba. partner governments show sustained leadership and political will to end child, early and forced marriage and strengthen their capacity to address child marriage across different sectors;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b a (new)

ba. existing national laws preventing and prohibiting child marriage are strengthened and enforced in line with international human rights standards;

Amendment 167 #

bb. partner governments show sustained leadership and political will to end child marriage and develop comprehensive legal frameworks and action plans with clear milestones and timelines integrating child marriage prevention measures across different sectors; and calling for political, economic, social, cultural and civil environments that protect and empower women and girls and support gender equality;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point c

c. the resources needed to achieve this objective are mobilised, taking care to open this cooperation to all institutional actors such as the judiciary, educational and health professionals, law enforcement, and community and religious leaders as well as non-governmental organisations with ~~undoubted~~ expertise in the area of tackling child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point c

c. the resources needed to achieve this objective are mobilised, taking care to open this cooperation to all institutional actors as well as ~~non-governmental organisations with undoubted expertise~~civil society in the area of tackling early and forced marriage;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols; whereas early and forced marriage has a ~~ver~~n extremely negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point c

c. the resources needed to achieve this objective are mobilised, taking care to open this cooperation to all institutional actors as well as non-governmental organisations with undoubted expertise in the area of tackling child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 171 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point c a (new)

ca. specific awareness-raising programmes, targeting male and female teenage students, their teachers and educators and their parents, be implemented far and wide throughout the territory (paying special attention to rural areas and those in which this practice is harder to eradicate);

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d~~. the level of public development aid is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements in the fight against early and forced marriage;~~eleted

Amendment 173 #

Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d~~. the level of public development aid is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements in the fight against early and forced marriage;~~eleted

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d. the level of public development aid allocation to government authorities is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements in the fight against early and forced marriage;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d. the level of public development aid is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements on human rights, including in the fight against early and forced marriage;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d. the level of public development aid is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying, in particular, with the requirements in the fight against early and forced marriage;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d

d. the level of public development aid is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements in the fight against child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d a (new)

da. adequate funds are dedicated to monitoring and evaluation of programmes and methods to end child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing countries in combating early and forced marriage, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and the dignity of girls;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas early and forced marriage should be regarded as gender-related violence and therefore has a very negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage;

Amendment 180 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in ~~triangular~~ cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing countries in combating child, early and forced marriage, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and the dignity of girls;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing countries in combating early and forced marriage through the implementation of budgeted national action plans, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and the dignity of girls;

Amendment 182 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union ~~and the developing~~, civil society organisations working in this field and the partner countries in combating early and forced marriage, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and their dignity ~~of girls~~;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e

e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing countries in combating child, early and forced marriage, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and the dignity of girls;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals and targets adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well- being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) ~~and~~, Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’), including access to all sexual and reproductive health services, in particular safe abortion for girls, and Goal 16 (‘Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies’), especially ‘end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children’;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) ~~and~~, Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’), including access to all sexual and reproductive health services, in particular safe abortion for girls, and Goal 16 (‘Promote peaceful and inclusive societies’), especially ‘end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children’;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) and Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’)~~, including access to all sexual and reproductive health services, in particular safe abortion for girls~~;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) and Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’), including access to all sexual and reproductive health services, in particular safe abortion for girls until the 12th week of pregnancy or due to medical indication;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) and Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’), including access to all ~~sexual and reproductive health services, in particular safe abortion for girl~~appropriate health services;

Amendment 19 #

Hans-Olaf HENKEL

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f

f. the implementation of these programmes builds on the relevant conventions and texts, as well as the specific goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 25 September 2015 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’) and Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’), including access to ~~all~~ sexual and reproductive health ~~services, in particular safe abortion for girl~~rights;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f a (new)

fa. women have access to family planning and the full range of public and universal sexual and reproductive health and rights, including modern contraception and safe and legal abortion, in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality; underscores the fact that universal access to health, in particular sexual and reproductive health and the associated rights, is a fundamental human right;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f a (new)

fa. progress to end child marriage is measured and monitoring mechanisms are put in place to collect data and evidence on related factors such as girls' health, age, frequency of childbearing, education, and income contributions;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f a (new)

fa. the harmonised monitoring of cases of child marriages in the world enhancing the collection of gender disaggregated date, in order to be able to better assess the magnitude of the problem;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f a (new)

fa. the development of specific action plans and legislation on child, early and forced marriage are compatible with the EU’s external relations with third countries;

Amendment 195 #

Marietje SCHAAKE, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f b (new)

fb. barriers and constraints preventing effective enforcement of laws are identified and tackled through e.g. working and creating space for respectful dialogue with religious and community leaders to raise awareness of the existing law and explaining risks of child marriage and its negative impact on girls, families and communities; making birth and marriage registration mandatory; training local law enforcement authorities to be responsive to child marriage cases and gender-based violence; reviews of the national laws related to child marriage and gender equality to identify gaps and inconsistencies;

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f b (new)

fb. issues relating to child, early, and forced marriage are raised in the ongoing dialogue between EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Stavros Lambrinidis and third countries;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point f c (new)

fc. encourages the EU and its Member States to improve training and awareness for its diplomatic staff abroad in order to properly support those who may have been held captive, raped, or forced into a marriage;

Amendment 198 #

Tokia SAÏFI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, as part of their dialogue with third-country partners on human rights, to focus their efforts on judicial cooperation and on exchanging good practices so as to strengthen synergies in the global drive to combat early and forced marriage;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the European Commission and Member States to support the SheDecides movement and pledge additional funding to international aid for sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortions and information about abortions, thereby countering the Global Gag Rule which was reinstated by the United States government in early 2017;

Amendment 2 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989, and its four fundamental principles of non- discrimination (Article 2), best interests of the child (Article 3), survival, development and protection (Article 6) and participation (Article 12); having regard to its resolution of 27 November 2014 on the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas child,1a early and forced marriage has a very negative impact on the physical and mental health and personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage; _________________ 1aThe rapporteur would like to introduce a horizontal amendment throughout the whole text to include the word "child" before every mention of "early and forced marriages".

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers it important to raise awareness among the public in general and among those at risk in particular on the basis of ~~awareness-raising~~publicity campaigns and through social networks and new media as part of the fight against child, early and forced marriage, and therefore calls for the development of cross-cutting governmental, legal, societal, and diplomatic actions aimed at preventing such practices;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers it important to raise awareness among the public in general and among those at risk in particular on the basis of education and awareness-raising campaigns and through social networks and new media as part of the fight against early and forced marriage;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers it ~~importa~~paramount to raise awareness among the public in general and among those at risk in particular on the basis of awareness-raising campaigns and through social networks and new media as part of the fight against early and forced marriage;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers it important to raise awareness among the public in general and among those at risk in particular on the basis of awareness-raising campaigns and through social networks and new media as part of the fight against child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Recommends that the EU, via its cooperation policies, should promote and protect equal rights for women and girls when it comes to access to education, placing a special emphasis on free, high- quality primary and secondary education, including the provision of catch-up and literacy programmes for those who have not received any formal education or who have dropped out of school early owing to marriage or motherhood;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Believes it is crucial to engage within local communities with key stakeholders such as teachers, parents, community and religious leaders through community based programmes or informational campaigns to raise awareness about the negative impact of child marriage on children, families and communities, about the existing law on child marriage and gender inequality and how to access funding for addressing it;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Considers that women/girl’s empowerment through education, social support and economic opportunities is crucial tool to fight against these practices; considers that in a world where parents might see marriage as the best way to provide their children with a future, early and forced marriages can be significantly lowered through the empowerment of women;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. stresses the need to guarantee the protection of children among refugees and asylum seekers in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child; calls on host countries to ensure that refugee children are given full access to education and to promote their integration and inclusion in national education systems;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Recognises the need for support and protection for those who are at risk of child, early, or forced marriage, and those who are already in such a marriage, including education about their rights, as well as sexual and reproductive health and contraception;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Considers that the EU could play a leading role in ending child marriage by encouraging the exchange of best practice, sharing lessons learned and fostering political will through e.g. multilateral fora and regional / global networks;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas early and forced marriage has a ~~very~~drastic negative impact on the personal development of the individuals concerned ~~and~~ on the children resulting from the marriage; and so on the whole society as such;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Believes that the EU should invest and encourage the affected countries to invest in girls' education through e.g. funding education programmes, making primary and secondary schooling compulsory, integrating sexual and reproductive health education into schools' curricula, providing girls' families with financial incentives and /or assistance for school enrolment and completion;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies, teachers and educators (in particular those who work with individuals at risk), so that they are better able to ~~uphold the right~~identify cases of girls exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity, and that they are able to take effective action to ensure that the rights of these vulnerable individuals are respected;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity; stresses the need to give special training to social workers, teachers and other personnel in contact with potential victims on how to identify victims and how to assist them;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies, government officials, religious and community leaders, and other relevant actors so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to ~~forced and early~~child, early and forced marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and sexual violence and any other practice which undermines human rights and dignity;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to child, forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity, and that appropriate monitoring is in place to protect their rights and health;

Amendment 215 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies and judicial systems of third countries so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls and boys exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to ~~law enforcement agencie~~public officials so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rape and any other practice which undermines human dignity;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Recommends that the EU, via its cooperation policies, should promote access to guidance services on abuse, reproductive health and protection against HIV; recommends, furthermore, that the EU should also promote support centres to ensure that those escaping early marriage or fleeing parents who force them to marry against their will have access to education, psychological and social support, housing and other high- quality social services, as well as mental, sexual and reproductive health services and healthcare;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on Member States to guarantee migrant women and girls an autonomous residence permit which is not dependent of the status of their spouse or partner, in particular for victims of physical and psychological violence including forced or arranged marriages, and to guarantee that all administrative measures are taken to protect them, including effective access to assistance and protection mechanisms;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Welcomes the global, multi-year Spotlight Initiative launched by the EU and the United Nations, aimed at ending all forms of violence against women and girls, as it brings focused attention to this issue, placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and calls for its effective implementation;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to consider supporting and strengthening protection measures in third countries, such as safe shelters, and access to legal, medical, and where necessary consular support, for those victims of child, early, and forced marriage;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Stresses that the EU should encourage third countries to ensure that civil society plays a role in tackling forced and child marriage and that victims of early and forced marriage can access justice in an independent and child- friendly way;

Amendment 224 #

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission to set up a European database to monitor forced marriage;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recognises that the European Union, which is committed to upholding fundamental values, including respect for human dignity, must be absolutely irreproachable at Member State level, and calls on the Commission to initiate a wide- ranging awareness-raising campaign and to dedicate a European year to the fight against early and forced marriage; also calls on the European Commission to examine the possibilities of providing an open source with scientifically-approved relevant educational videos, in the form of free Massive Open Online Courses that can be used as supplementary material for any educational system globally;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recognises that the European Union~~, which~~ is committed to upholding fundamental values, including respect for human dignity, ~~must be absolutely irreproachable at Member State level, and calls on the Commission to initiate~~and supports a wide- ranging awareness-raising campaign ~~and to dedicate~~, including a European year to the fight against child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 227 #

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recognises that the European Union, which is committed to upholding human rights and fundamental values, including respect for human dignity, must be absolutely irreproachable at Member State level, and calls on the Commission to initiate a wide- ranging awareness-raising campaign and to dedicate a European year to the fight against child, early and forced marriage;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Strongly supports the work of the Girls Not Brides global partnership in ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. Whereas child and forced marriage is, in particular, a serious violation of women’s rights – including the rights to equality, access to education and freedom from exploitation and discrimination – which may have a significant impact on women’s physical and mental health; whereas child, early and forced marriage undermines the autonomy and the capacity of women and girls to take decisions in all aspects of their lives and continues to hamper the economic, legal, health and social situation of women and girls and the development of society as a whole; whereas the empowerment of women and girls requires their meaningful participation in all decisions that affect them and whereas the full, effective and equal participation of women at all levels of decision-making is a key factor for ending the cycle of gender inequality and discrimination, violence and poverty, and is essential to, inter alia, sustainable development, peace, security, democracy and inclusive economic growth;

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Reminds the EU of its commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment through EU external relations 2016-2020; asks the Commission to ensure that European development cooperation follows an approach that is based on human rights, with a particular emphasis on gender equality and combating all forms of sexual violence against women and girls; calls on EU Member States and EU institutions to increase their support to local human rights defenders and NGOs campaigning for the rights of women and girls;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Welcomes the African Union’s ongoing campaign to end child marriage and the work of organisations such as the Royal Commonwealth Society to advocate for increased action to end child marriage and tackle gender inequality;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)

11c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to work in partnership with regional and global bodies, including the United Nations, with a view to eliminating child, early and forced marriage worldwide and addressing associated issues of honour-based violence;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the EU is committed to promoting the rights of the child, and whereas child, early, and forced marriage is a violation of these rights; whereas the EU is committed to comprehensively protecting and promoting the rights of a child in its external policy;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas no marriage shall be legally entered into without the full and free consent of both parties, and by any person under a minimum age for marriage;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas no major world religion sanctions forced marriage; whereas it is merely a cultural practice and an unacceptable form of exploitation;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas child, early and forced marriage is linked with instances of honour-based violence whereby its victim is often perceived to have violated the honour of their family due to their behaviour and can often go unreported; whereas such violence, as well as child, early and forced marriage, is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men, as well as customs and community practices;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. Whereas child marriage is a global problem which cuts across countries, cultures and religions; whereas child brides can be found in all regions of the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, from Asia to Europe and from Africa to North America; whereas child marriage also affects boys but to a much lesser extent than girls;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

Ac. whereas globally the average legal age of marriage for boys is 17 and 16 for girls but many countries permit them, particularly girls, to marry much younger;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989, and its four ~~fundament~~general principles of non- discrimination (Article 2), best interests of the child (Article 3), survival, development and protection (Article 6) and participation (Article 12),

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 700 million ~~girls~~women have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas there are currently around 40 million girls between 15 and 19 who are married or living in union; whereas every year some 15 million more get married before the age of 18, of whom 4 million get married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas every seven seconds, somewhere in the world, a girl under 15 gets married, often to a man much older than herself; whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas around 156 million boys have married before the age 18, of whom 25 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18; whereas nine out of 10 countries with the highest child marriage rates are classified as fragile states;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, ~~more than 70~~some 720 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15, and whereas 156 million boys have also married before the age of 18; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 35 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Javier NART

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas about 15 million girls married as children this year; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls and 150 million boys have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million and 33 million boys were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Β

Β. whereas, to date, more than 700 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, Muslim, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 38 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, to date, more than 7050 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. Whereas child marriage, in general, is the result of a combination of poverty, lack of education, gender inequality, the perception that marriage will provide ‘protection’, family honour and the lack of effective protection of the rights of boys and girls; whereas these factors are often exacerbated by limited access to quality education and job opportunities, and are reinforced by some entrenched social standards;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)

– having regard to the general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas deep-rooted gender inequalities and stereotypes, harmful practices, perceptions, customs, and discriminatory norms are root causes of child, early and forced marriage; whereas this increases the risk of women and girls being exposed to discrimination and gender-based violence during their lives;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to high rates of maternal mortality, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education; whereas according to UNICEF some of the harmful consequences of child marriage are: separation from family and friends, lack of freedom to interact with peers and participate in community activities, decreased opportunities for receiving education, sexual abuse, serious health risks such as premature pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and, increasingly, HIV/AIDS; whereas child marriage can also lead to forced labour, slavery, and prostitution;

Amendment 42 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to high rates of maternal ~~mortality, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education~~and child mortality and morbidity, highly inadequate or non- existent access to information about family planning, including sexual and reproductive health services, and higher rates of pregnancies with increased health risks, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education, which also impacts the future education and health prospectives of her siblings;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to high rates of maternal mortality, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education, as the stigma of pregnancy often keeps girls from returning to school and some countries forbid pregnant girls and young mothers from returning to the classroom;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to a high risk of early and unwanted pregnancies, high rates of maternal mortality, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to high rates of maternal mortality~~, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and~~ and pregnancy at a premature age, which usually signal the end of a girl’s education;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas child, early and forced marriage is also an obstacle to the social and economic development of countries and regions;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas forced marriage at an early age deprives children of their childhood;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas in many countries where child marriages occur, polygamy, crimes of honour and female genital mutilation also form of part of the countries’ cultural and ancestral traditions and whereas these phenomena seriously violate human rights and severely impact the personal development of the individuals concerned;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas both boys and girls are affected by child, early, and forced marriage but that there is a disproportionately devastating impact on girls, such as early pregnancy and childbirth, which is based on gender inequality and is thus a form of gendered violence, and thus eradicating child marriage is a strategic way of promoting women's rights and their empowerment;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

– having regard to the joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights; whereas there are 263 million children who are not in the education system; whereas child, early and forced marriage disproportionately affects girls with little or no formal education and in itself constitutes a major obstacle to educational opportunities for girls and young women, in particular girls who are forced to leave school because of marriage, pregnancy, maternity or care responsibilities for children, and whereas educational opportunities are directly related to the empowerment, employment and economic opportunities of women and girls and their active participation in economic, social and cultural development, governance and decision- making;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas early and forced marriages have lifelong consequences for the victims and very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, ~~allowing girls~~because equal access to education and proper training contributes to empowerment and promotes freedom of choice and the right of self-determination of girls and women, enabling them to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas child, early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies as girls tend to drop out of school during the preparatory time before a marriage or shortly afterwards; whereas education is an effective way of preventing child, early and forced marriage, allowing girls to fulfil their potential, develop skills, knowledge, and confidence, and free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child points out the importance of measures that encourage regular attendance at schools by controlling and seeking to reduce the drop-out rates, as early and forced marriages ~~very often~~ deprive the persons concerned ofrom the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;

Amendment 54 #

D. whereas early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies and hamper their economic opportunities, isolating them from society; whereas education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights and to empower them; whereas investing in girls education and future can benefit communities at large;

Amendment 55 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas child, early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education is an effective way of preventing child, early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights; whereas child, early and forced marriage perpetuates the vicious cycle of poverty which affects girls and women even more than men and boys;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education, particularly comprehensive sexual education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

Amendment 58 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Javier NART

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas conversely, education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

– having regard to the UN Human Rights Council’s resolutions on Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage, resolution 24/23 of 9 October 2013, resolution 29/8 of 22 July 2015, resolution 35/16 of 12 July 2017,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas many girls aren’t in education because schools are inaccessible or expensive, or because their parents don’t see the value of education and see marriage as the best option for their daughter;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. Whereas every year, 17 million children have a child which forces them to take on adult responsibilities and endangers their health, education and economic prospects; whereas child- mothers are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV; whereas early child-bearing, where a girl’s body is insufficiently prepared, is usually beset with complications that constitute the second-most common cause of death among adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years of age and whereas girls in this age group are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than those who are older than 20 years;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child-mothers are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality, and child brides are neither physically nor emotionally ready to give birth; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV, as well as pregnancy-related injuries such as obstetric fistula; whereas the experience of frequent and early pregnancies may also cause a range of long-term health complications, and even death;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Ε

Ε. whereas child-mothers are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV, taking into account that, even after giving birth, girls are mostly abandoned to their fate and essentially raise their children on their own with little or no financial means;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child-mothers are not yet physically and mentally mature and are exposed to considerable health risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent medical support~~, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is~~ and because, as a result of their social isolation, they have less access to high- quality health centres, which leads to high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality and an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child-mothers are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV; whereas complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle- income countries;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child~~-mother~~ brides are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, ~~particularly owing to highly inadequate or non- existent medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV~~frequently resulting in maternal mortality;

Amendment 67 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child~~-mothers are exposed to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non- existent medical support~~, early and forced marriage exposes girls to early childbearing involving to considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, frequently resulting in maternal mortality and morbidity; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting ~~viral infections such as HIV~~sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; whereas children born to children have a lower survival rate than those born to women of 19 years and over;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas child~~-mothers are exposed to~~, early and forced marriage exposes girls to early childbearing involving considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent access to medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. Whereas the rate of mortality of babies born to adolescent mothers is around 50 % higher; whereas the risk of a child born to an adolescent mother dying in their first year of life is 60 % higher than for a child born to a mother aged over 19; whereas even if the child survives, it will have a higher risk of suffering malnutrition, low birth weight or physical and cognitive development problems;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

– having regard to Articles 32, 37, and 59 (4) of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas reinstating and extending the so-called global gag rule which cuts international funds to organisations, such as UNFPA, that provide girl victims of child marriage with family planning and sexual and reproductive health services is of serious concern;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child, early and forced marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, ~~they~~states have an obligation to investigate allegations, prosecute perpetrators, and provide redress to victims; whereas child, early and forced marriage must be condemned; whereas child, early and forced marriages are often associated with ~~domestic~~an increased risk of domestic and intimate partner violence and sexual abuse;

Amendment 72 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Renate WEBER, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas child, early and forced marriage perpetuates other violations of human rights that disproportionately affect women and girls; whereas early and forced marriages are often associated with domestic violence and sexual abuse;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages are often associated with domestic violence ~~and sexual abuse~~, physical, psychological, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse, including being held unlawfully captive, assaulted, and raped;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages are often a~~ssociated with~~t the origin of domestic violence and sexual abuse; and other practices harmful to girls and women, such as female genital mutilation and so-called honour crimes;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages ~~are often associated with domestic violence and sexu~~increase the risk of gender-based violence and sexual, physical and psychological abuse;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a clear form of violence against girls and boys, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages are often associated with domestic violence and sexual abuse;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls in particular, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages are often associated with domestic violence and sexual abuse;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas forced marriage is a form of violence against women that, as such, affects women because of their sex and cannot be justified on any cultural or religious grounds and should in no case be tolerated;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the number of early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian disaster, which leave little scope for medical and psychological care; whereas ~~during the recent migration crises, many parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression, chose to have them marry before the age of 18~~in such situations the risk of child and forced marriage increases owing to various factors such as: insecurity, gender inequality, an increased risk of sexual violence, the collapse of the rule of law and state authority, the erroneous impression that marriage provides protection, the use of forced marriage as a tactic in conflict situations, a lack of access to education, the stigma of pregnancy outside of marriage, a lack of family planning services, the disruption of social networks and routines, the increase in poverty and a lack of livelihood opportunities;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)

– having regard to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Report of 2012 entitled “Marrying Too Young - End Child Marriage”,

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the number of early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and natural and humanitarian disaster, ~~which leave little scope for~~during which medical and psychological care~~; whereas during the recent migration crises, many~~ are often lacking; whereas within humanitarian settings, some parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression~~, chose~~ or because they are regarded as financial burdens to their families, feel they have no choice but to have them marry before the age of 18;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the number of child, early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian disaster, which leave little scope for medical and psychological care, or access to education; whereas during the recent migration crises, many parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression, chose to have them marry before the age of 18, believing it to provide a route out of poverty;

Amendment 82 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

Amendment 83 #

G. whereas the number of early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and natural and humanitarian disaster, which leave little scope for medical and psychological care; whereas during the recent migration crises, many parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression, chose to have them marry before the age of 18;

Amendment 84 #

Charles GOERENS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Marietje SCHAAKE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. Whereas forced marriage is one of the most common causes of persecution on the grounds of gender as claimed by a significant number of women seeking asylum; whereas there are still a number of hurdles to recognising forced marriage as a reason for granting international protection despite it being a form of gender-based persecution and constituting a serious and systematic violation of fundamental rights, entailing inhuman and degrading treatment which may amount to torture;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the Istanbul Convention classifies forced marriage as a form of violence against women, and calls for the act of forcing a child to enter into a marriage and that of luring a child abroad with the purpose of forcing her or him to enter into a marriage to be criminalised; whereas Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia and United Kingdom have yet to ratify the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the Istanbul Convention classifies forced marriage as a form of violence against women, and calls for the act of forcing a child to enter into a marriage and that of luring a child abroad with the purpose of forcing her or him to enter into a marriage to be criminali~~sed~~zed; whereas the lack of access by victims to legal, medical, and social support can exacerbate the issue;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the nature of child, early or forced marriage means many cases often go unreported, with cases of abuse crossing international borders and cultural boundaries, and can amount to a form of human trafficking, leading to slavery, exploitation, and/or control;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

– having regard to the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution of June 2017 on child, early and forced marriage in humanitarian contexts,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas ending CEFM is included as one of the priorities for the EU´s external action in the field of promoting women´s rights and human rights;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the problem is present not only in third countries, but also in EU Member States;

Amendment 92 #

Hb. whereas in July 2014 the first Girl Summit took place in London aimed at mobilising domestic and international efforts to end female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage within a generation;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas the problem is present not only in third countries, but also in EU Member States;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)

Hc. whereas situations of armed conflict and instability significantly increase CEFM;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Condemns forced marriage and the constraints – in whatever form – imposed on teenage girls and girl children in Europe and the rest of the world, since practices of this kind constitute a serious violation of human rights;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Stresses that child, early and forced marriages are a gross and multiple human rights violation;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum, uniform age for marriage at 18 years ~~and~~in order to emphasize the importance of free, full and informed consent to marriage as a means of protecting the rights of women and children worldwide; calls on the legislators to provide themselves with the administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requirement; and for the EU to provide financial and technical assistance to achieve this commitment;

Amendment 98 #