Not long ago, The ASEAN Post published an article titled, “Ending Child Marriage In The Philippines.” The article discusses about the new Girls Not Brides Act or Senate Bill No. 1373 that has recently been approved in the Philippines which criminalises child marriage between minors or between a minor and an adult.Under the bill, anyone who causes, fixes, facilitates or arranges a child marriage will be fined PHP40,000 (US$829) or suffer prison time for six years.

Every year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 23 girls every minute. In some Southeast Asia countries, child marriages and teenage pregnancies continue to rise. ASEAN member states Indonesia, Lao PDR and Vietnam, among others have long practiced early unions.

Following years of pressure from advocacy groups, Indonesia's Parliament revised its national laws last year to increase the legal age a girl can marry. The amendment to the Marriage Act raised the age of marriage for girls to 19 years old which is in line with the legal age for boys, with parental permission, while the legal age for men and women to marry without parental consent is 21.

Education plays a vital role in the economic development of a country as it increases the capacity and ability of people to be more productive economically. Every child – even those living in poverty, in war-torn areas or those living with disabilities – has a right to education. As stated by Save the Children, a leading humanitarian organisation for children, education is the route out of poverty for many people.

One of the most crucial and pressing issues related to children in the Philippines is the issue of children in armed conflict.

The United Nations (UN) has projected that the coronavirus crisis could push a further 34 million people into extreme poverty by the end of the year and an additional 130 million more by 2030. The deadly virus is not just a threat to one’s health, but has also devastated livelihoods across the globe. Businesses, industries and the economy in general have been severely affected by the pandemic.

The coronavirus crisis has caused millions to lose their jobs and sources of income. Reports of shuttered businesses and a global recession have headlined the news since the virus first appeared in Wuhan, China. The World Bank has predicted that 24 million fewer people will escape poverty in Southeast Asia this year as a result of the pandemic.

This year has been eventful and it’s still just the middle of March. The world greeted 2020 with paranoia and caution as the COVID-19 novel coronavirus spread around the globe. Malaysia is no exception to the outbreak with over 100 people tested positive for the virus as of 12 March. In late February, the country was in turmoil as former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned from his position and an alleged ‘backdoor government’ was formed.

Early last month, following years of pressure from advocacy groups, Indonesia's Parliament revised its national laws to increase the legal age a girl can marry. The amendment to the Marriage Act raised the age of marriage for girls to 19 years old which is in line with the legal age for boys, with parental permission, while the legal age for men and women to marry without parental consent is 21.