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Ban on child trafficking and the bartering of women

Mali’s parliament approved on Friday a law that would make child trafficking punishable by five to 20 years in prison, AFP reported on Tuesday. UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are trafficked in West and Central Africa every year. The Malian legislators also agreed to combat the bartering of women - a common practice in parts of the country - whereby a spouse can traded for a cow or to pay off a debt, the French news agency reported.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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