Page 69 E. Protection against harmful social and cultural practices that affect the welfare, dignity, normal growth and development of the child (article 21) 1. Child Marriage and the Betrothal of Girls and Boys (Article 21.2) In Cameroon, marriage is founded on the free will of a man and woman to join together as man and wife. The free and solemn consent of the future couple is therefore crucial to the validity of the marriage. This is a major inclusion in the marriage certificate. Article 52, paragraph 4 of marriage ordinance 81/02 of 28 June 1981 stipulates that “no marriage can take place if the future couple does not consent to it”. Cameroonian law is unequivocal about the importance of consent to marriage, to demonstrate its firm opposition to forced marriage. Recognizing marriage as a form of emancipation of the child, legislators have introduced provisions in title VI, chapter III of the above ordinance, to require the consent of the parent(s), guardian(s) or religious leader(s) for marriage of children aged 15 for girls and 18 for boys). This legal instrument, adopted in 1981 prior to ratification of the Children‟s Charter, is under amendment. The possibility of child marriage and parental consent are absent from the preliminary draft child protection code. Consent to marriage, which is still one of the prerogatives of “parental power”, along with the concept of “parental authority over the person of the child” (Book I, Title IV), will thus disappear with the promulgation of the code on the protection of children. Parental power is defined as “a set of rights and duties conferred on the father and mother in the interest of the child”. The father and the mother have parental authority until the child reaches the age of majority or is declared to be of full age, the aim being to ensure the child‟s safety, health, morals, education and harmonious development. The only rights and duties which parents have are those of care, supervision and education. Thus, the preliminary draft code on the protection of children, simply by prohibiting the marriage of children, automatically abolishes the right of parents to consent to such marriages. While the draft child protection code attempts to harmonize national legislation with international instruments, it glosses over the existence of early sex, which must be addressed. Early sex is a fact, which has taken larger proportions with the advent of commercials on condom use as a means of preventing HIV/AIDS, or its alternative, which is remaining faithful to one partner. This has caused sexual depravation and immorality among the youth. 2. Female Genital Mutilation in all Forms (Article 21.1 (a)) The Committee on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has observed that the practice has curtailed considerably in the resistance areas of the Far North, East and South-East. In 1998, Cameroon prepared and implemented a three-pronged strategic plan to combat FGM: