Iceland

There is no publicly available government data on child marriage in Iceland.

In 2018, following a formal question to the Minister of Justice, it was revealed that there had been 18 marriages involving minors since 1998.

Child marriage is driven by gender inequality and the belief that women and girls are somehow inferior to men and boys.

There is limited information on child marriage in Iceland.

Iceland has committed to ending child, early and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The government submitted a Voluntary National Review at the 2023 High Level Political Forum.

Iceland has co-sponsored the following Human Rights Council resolutions: the 2013 resolution on child, early and forced marriage, the 2015 resolution to end child, early and forced marriage, recognising that it is a violation of human rights, the 2017 Human Rights Council resolution recognising the need to address child, early and forced marriage in humanitarian contexts, the 2019 Human Rights Council resolution on the consequences of child marriage, , the 2021 resolution on child, early and forced marriage in times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2023 resolution on ending and preventing forced marriage. In 2014, Iceland also signed a joint statement at the Human Rights Council calling for a resolution on child marriage.

Iceland co-sponsored the 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 UN General Assembly resolutions on child, early and forced marriage.

Iceland ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, which the Committee on the Rights of the Child has interpreted to recommend the establishment of a minimum age of marriage of 18, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1985, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage.

During its 2023 review, the CEDAW Committee acknowledged the amendments to the Marriage Law (No. 31/1993) which removed all exceptions to the minimum age of marriage of 18 years and the amendment to the General Penal Code, criminalising forms of trafficking, including forced marriage.

Iceland has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as the Istanbul Convention), which considers forced marriage a serious form of violence against women and girls, and legally binds state parties to criminalise the intentional conduct of forcing an adult or child into a marriage. Iceland has also ratified the Convention on Trafficking in Human Beings and the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (the Lanzarote Convention) in 2012.

In 2019, at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, the Icelandic Government committed to signing a multi-year framework agreement with UNFPA to further strengthen the agency and its mandate to realise women and girls’ human rights across the world, with a focus on adolescent girls and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In 2018, the Icelandic Prime Minister appointed a Steering Committee for Comprehensive Reforms concerning Sexual Violence. The main aim of this committee was to promote harmonised and progressive governmental action against sexual and gender-based harassment and sexual violence. This committee promoted the Istanbul Convention. As part of this process, the government enshrined two criminal provisions on the prohibition of violence in close relationships and on forced marriage.

Gender equality has been a priority issue for Iceland in their work to promote women’s human rights. As a country, they are working towards promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. This has been done through focusing attention on women’s participation in decision-making, respect for sexual and reproductive health rights, and combatting violence and discrimination against women.

The Icelandic government plays a significant role in international development. In 2017, they supported students in the Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GEST), which took active steps towards ending child marriage in Malawi. Through support from the Icelandic government, they were able to raise the minimum age of marriage in Malawi from 15 to 18.

Under Article 7 of the Marriage Act No. 31 of 1993, a man and woman can marry if they are both 18 years of age.