US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON698

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000698 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND G/IWI (KHADIAGALA) 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J7 (RHANNAN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: JM, ECON, ELAB, PHUM, PGOV, SCUL, SOCI, KWMN 
SUBJECT: CHILD MARRIAGE: JAMAICA 
 
REF: STATE 36341 
 
1. Per reftel instructions, this cable addresses the issue of 
child marriage in Jamaica. 
 
2. A. What is the legal age of marriage in your country?  Is 
it the same for girls and boys?  Is there a lower legal age 
for marriage with parental consent? 
 
3. A. The legal age of marriage, with or without parental 
consent, is 16 years.  The law, set forth in the Marriage Act 
of 1897, is the same for both boys and girls. 
 
4. B. To what extent is underage marriage a significant 
problem, either among the population at large or within on or 
more minority groups?  To what extent does underage marriage 
have adverse affects on the well being of the child? 
 
5. B. Underage marriage is not a significant problem in 
Jamaica.  A University of California Berkeley study found the 
median age of first marriage in Jamaica to be 31 for both men 
and women.  The study found that less than one percent of the 
population between ages 15 and 19 is married. 
 
6. C. Are there currently any U.S.-funded initiatives in your 
host country that aim to reduce the incidence or address the 
negative affects of child marriage? 
 
7. C. There are no U.S.-funded initiatives that address the 
issue. 
ROBINSON