The Propriety of Mass Weddings and the Imperative to End Child Betrothal written by Kebe Ikpi

Mass weddings are collective ceremonies uniting many couples at once, often organised by religious, traditional or community bodies. Supporters highlight lower costs, communal solidarity and administrative efficiency, especially in resource-scarce settings. When restricted to consenting adults of full legal capacity, such events can be a legitimate social practice. Propriety, however, demands respect for autonomy, dignity and the rights of every participant.

That propriety collapses the moment children are involved. Any alleged betrothal or marriage of a child bride in a mass wedding must be condemned without reservation. A child is not a party capable of consenting to marriage. Early marriage interrupts education, exposes girls to early pregnancy and its attendant health risks, heightens vulnerability to violence, and extinguishes childhood itself. Public celebration of such unions normalises the harm and compounds the injury.

National laws, including the Child Rights Act and equivalent statutes at the State level, define a child as a person under 18 and prohibit child marriage. International instruments—the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child—reinforce the same standard. Consent of a minor is legally irrelevant; facilitation of the union is an offence.

Enforcement remains the critical gap. Age verification through birth certificates or independent checks must precede every ceremony. Organisers of mass weddings should be required to submit participant lists for official scrutiny. Criminal accountability must follow for parents, guardians, adult partners and organisers who knowingly involve minors. Affected girls need accessible routes to annulment, shelter, medical care, counselling and return to education. Prevention requires universal birth registration, free secondary education, economic support that reduces household pressure to marry off daughters, and sustained public education.

Customary and religious authorities must be engaged firmly: dialogue is useful, but the minimum age of 18 is non-negotiable. State recognition of customary or religious marriages should be conditioned on compliance. Political will is indispensable; leaders cannot treat child protection as optional when influential constituencies are involved.

Mass weddings confined to adults may continue. Those that include children must be stopped. The law already exists. What is required is consistent, impartial enforcement so that no girl is sacrificed to tradition, spectacle or economic calculation. The protection of children is a basic measure of a society’s decency.