30. The Committee is concerned that a minor between 15 and 18 years of age may legally marry. The Committee is concerned about the lack of information on the impact on women of the proposed new Family Law Act, which changes the marital property regime. The Committee is further concerned about the lack of legal protection of the rights of cohabitating women.
31. The Committee urges the State party to raise the legal age of marriage for women and men to 18 years, in line with article 16, paragraph 2, of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee’s general recommendation 21 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee recommends that the State party undertake a gender impact analysis of the proposed new Family Law Act and include the results of such analysis, including measures taken in response, in its next report. The Committee further recommends that the State party ensure the same protection of women’s rights in marriage and in situations of cohabitation.
Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CEDAW-Estonia-2007-eng