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<p> </p><p>There is a discrepancy between the Sudanese Child Act of 2010, under which
anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a child, and religious law, under which
anyone under the age of 11 is considered to be a child. Along with the Sudanese National
Council for Child Welfare (NCCW), we have lobbied the Government to ensure compliance
with the Child Act and the removal of any discrepancies which lead to under-age children
being married.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Broader work on child rights forms part
of a programme supported by DFID, and run by UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World
Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which focuses on Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM). This programme has included a workshop on reaching a national
position on the legal age of marriage. DFID is also providing funding to UNICEF’s
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which will include data on the percentage
of women who were married by the time they reached 18. The findings of that survey,
which will report by the end of 2014, will inform our discussions with the Government
of Sudan.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>DFID worked closely with the NCCW to ensure
that the Government was represented at the Girl Summit which took place in London
in July, and which had a particular focus on FGM and Child and Forced Marriage (CEFM).
We welcome the Government of Sudan’s subsequent signature of the Girl Summit Charter,
which includes a public commitment to ending CEFM. We are actively following up with
the Government of Sudan to ensure that they maintain momentum on these issues.</p><p>
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