It changes the legal minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 - and is seen as a major step forward that will allow children - especially girls - to get a complete education:

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development, Families
"There was broad consensus across the parliamentary floor last year on the urgent need to amend our Marriage Act to increase the age to 18 across the board with no exceptions. And I believe that the well-being, protection, education of all our young people in line with our national gender policy and the sustainable development goals and planBelize, it is good for us to do this this afternoon."

"Childhood is a time for dreams, not a time for marriage."

Tracy Panton, UDP Albert
"We will now hopefully see more and more of our young women and young men seek the things that are important to them in their own adult development."

Elvi Vega, PUP Corozal Bay
"The 2015 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, one in five girls age 15 to 19 in Belize is married or in a union. Madam Speaker, these are not just numbers. They represent real lives, girls with dreams cut short when forced into adult responsibilities far too early."

"We know that child marriage denies young girls their rights to education, exposes them to health risks and traps them in cycles of poverty."

Patrick Faber, UDP Collet
"But it is an opportune time. I think it is ripe. I think everybody understands that we must go in this direction." v "And so, Madam Speaker, I am elated this afternoon to join my voice to that of the member from Belize rural central and the entire government side and my leader who has made it very clear, the member for Albert who has made it very clear that those of us who are on this side of the house clearly support this change to the marriage act."