HIVOS – Malawi’s President, Peter Mutharika, has signed the Marriage and Family Relations Bill into law after a period of uncertainty since February, when the country’s parliament ratified the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill. The new legislation raises the minimum age for marriage from 14 to 18, effectively banning child marriages. This development, which follows more than fifteen years of undaunted advocacy, marks a huge step forward in the fight to end the insidious practice in the country.