Colombian lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill to end child marriage in the country after 17 years of campaigning by advocacy groups and eight failed attempts to push legislation through the house and senate.
The proposal would make the minimum age for marriage 18 and seeks to protect the rights and development opportunities for minors. It still must be signed into law by President Gustavo Petro.
Currently, the country’s civil code allows person as young as 14 years old to get married with parental consent.
A video surfaced on social media, showing Colombian MPs hugging each other happily amid loud cheer and celebrating inside the Parliament. 
According to CNN, the initial proposal to reform the law – presented in 2023 – used the slogan “they’re girls, not wives,” aimed to prevent young girls from being forced to marry, to be subject to different forms of violence and to miss out on education and development opportunities.