Chad
Child marriage is practised in both wealthy and less rich homes in Chad, with 68 percent of girls getting married before 18. A 2013 report on child marriage in West Africa by The Ford Foundation stated that “cultural tradition, conflict, state fragility and a general bewilderment by parents and communities about what to do with large numbers of children in the face of a failing education system and a stiffed economy” were reasons why the practice is still going on. The Parliament of Chad in 2015, approved an ordinance signed by the president to increase the age of marriage from 15 to 18 years. Defaulters of the law may be sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison or may pay a 500,000 FCFA ($955) to 5 million FCFA ($9,550) fine.
