These girls are getting an education. Not all girls are so fortunate. This is a global issue. Child marriage is a related issue we struggled with in the Law Clinic in The Gambia. The Gambia law clearly requires a person to be 18 to marry, unless Sharia law is interpreted to provide an exception. This potential conflict of laws may need to be resolved in the courts. Unfortunately, child marriage is clearly legal in the United States, even though child marriage violates international laws the U.S.聽has agreed to.

“The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women provides for the Prohibition of Child Marriage in Article 16.3 While child marriage per se is not referred to in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention contains a provision calling for the abolishment of traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. In addition, child marriage is connected to other children鈥檚 rights, such as the right to express their views freely, the right to protection from all forms of abuse, and the right to be protected from harmful traditional practices and is often addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The CRC prohibits States parties from permitting or giving validity to a marriage between persons who have not attained their majority. In the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ‘a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.'”

厂别别听

It was sunny, about 30C/86F in Kotu last Tuesday. There was a nice breeze if you were under a tree, but not in a classroom with 50 students. The electricity was out, so even the overhead fans were still. We taught right after lunch, but most of these students didn’t have lunch. It is Ramadan and most are fasting. No food or water from sun up to sun down.

On the left you see the conditions have not dampened the spirits of our UTG Law Clinic students, or Acting Director Chris and Assistant Director Peter. They had just finished their first “Street Law” program for a total of 150 bright and engaged students. On the right, you see them pictured with their students that day.

Street Law develops classroom and grassroots programs that organize law school students to educate younger students and communities about the law, democracy, and human rights. The program was started at Georgetown Law School in 1972 and has expanded to other law schools in the U.S. and abroad since then. Street Law is now a NGO.

They did a great job with the project.

Chris, the Acting Law Clinic Director, recommended this local restaurant to me. It’s behind the billboards (picture on right), just back from “the traffic light” corner. The “traffic light” is the first traffic light that was installed in The Gambia. There are not a lot of other traffic lights here.

At Omar’s, you get a choice of a couple of local African dishes. Typically chicken or fish. Yassa (a spicy sauce with sauteed onions) or domoda (a delicious, spicy peanut butter sauce).

You get get lunch and a drink for 75 Dalasi. Less than $2. Why cook?