US embassy cable - 05GUATEMALA734

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000734 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/IWI:KHADIAGALA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, EAID, KWMN, PGOV, SCUL, SOCI, GT 
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA CHILD MARRIAGE 
 
REF: STATE 36341 
 
1. The answers below are keyed to the reftel questions. 
 
A. Article 8 of the Civil Code specifies that the age of 
majority is 18 years for both males and females.  Article 81 
establishes the age of majority as the legal age of marriage. 
 Articles 82-84, however, specify that males over age 16 and 
females over age 14 can be married with parental or judicial 
permission. 
 
B. The most recent 2002 National Household Maternal and Child 
Health Survey (ENSMI), conducted by USAID and CDC, notes that 
18.2 percent of 15-19 year old females are in a union, along 
with 5.7 percent of males in the same age group.  The same 
study notes that 5.7 percent of females in the 15-19 age 
group entered into a union before age 15. 
 
C. While several U.S. Government-funded initiatives address 
health and education concerns of Guatemalan children, none 
directly address child marriage.  In particular, the U.S. 
Department of Labor addresses the worst forms of child labor 
through grants to the International Labor Organization and 
Catholic Relief Services, and USAID operates several programs 
through its Office of Health and Education. 
HAMILTON