Right here, we discover how the UK’s age of consent compares with the remainder of the world, from international locations with out a authorized age restrict, resembling Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, to these with a a lot greater age of consent, resembling Bahrain, South Korea, and Nepal.
Nations with no age of sexual consent:
There isn’t a age of consent in some international locations, together with Iran, Libya, the Maldives, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
In these international locations, it is unlawful to have interaction in sexual exercise exterior of marriage (per Age of Consent). As such, they’ve legal guidelines stipulating an age of consent to marriage. In lots of international locations the place intercourse earlier than marriage is unlawful, the age of consent to marry is greater for males than it’s for ladies. For instance, in Qatar, the minimal authorized age of marriage is 16 for women and 18 for boys.
Even in international locations with a minimal age of consent to marriage, the courts can nonetheless grant approval for particular person instances the place the events(s) are underage.
Nations with ages of consent beneath 16:
Most international locations require younger individuals to be not less than 14 earlier than partaking in sexual exercise, with some notable exceptions: In Nigeria, the age of consent is 11; in Angola and the Philippines, it is set at 12; and it is 13 in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Japan – though the latter’s consent legal guidelines differ relying on which area you are in.
If Iraq’s new laws turns into regulation, the age of consent will probably be lowered from 18 to 9.
Many European international locations, together with Italy, Hungary, Germany, Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro set the age of consent at 14. That is additionally true of quite a few South American international locations, together with Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Paraguay.
The age of consent can also be 14 in Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, and Chad.
The age of consent rises to fifteen in Thailand, France, Poland, Sweden, Greece, and Croatia – in addition to Iceland, Denmark, and Honduras.
Nations with ages of consent 16+:
The UK units the age of consent at 16 – together with Spain, Russia, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and Israel.
Finland, Norway, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Luxembourg, and Cuba additionally set the age of consent at 16.
The age of consent varies by state within the USA: 31 states set the age of consent as 16, eight set it at 17, and 11 set it at 18. Based on Age of Consent, 26 states have close-in-age legal guidelines, which legalise “sexual activity between underaged participants if they are close enough to one another in age.”
The age of consent rises to 17 in Eire, Mexico, Cyprus, and Nauru; and 18 in India, Egypt, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda, Argentina, Iraq, Chile, and Vatican Metropolis.
The age of consent is 20 in South Korea and Nepal and 21 in Bahrain.
GLAMOUR has reached out to Russell Model for a remark. This function will probably be saved up to date.
GLAMOUR is campaigning for the federal government to introduce an Picture-Primarily based Abuse Invoice in partnership with Jodie Campaigns, the Finish Violence In opposition to Girls Coalition, Not Your Porn, and Professor Clare McGlynn.
For extra details about emotional abuse and home abuse, you may name The Freephone Nationwide Home Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247.
For extra details about reporting and recovering from rape and sexual abuse, you may contact Rape Disaster on 0808 500 2222.
In case you have been sexually assaulted, yow will discover your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre right here. You too can discover help at your native GP, voluntary organisations resembling Rape Disaster, Girls’s Assist, and Sufferer Help, and you’ll report it to the police (when you select) right here.
For extra from Glamour UK’s Lucy Morgan, comply with her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
