Audio By Carbonatix
People who refuse a marriage proposal in Mangalmé in north-eastern Chad must now pay a fine, known as "amchilini".
The region's Higher Islamic Council ruled that the figure be between $23 (£18) and $39 for women and $15 for men.
The Chadian Women's Rights League has launched the hashtag #StopAmchilini to denounce the decision, saying it is illegal as it violates a national law guaranteeing freedom of consent to marriage.
The Islamic Council says its decision was inspired by the Quran.
Forced marriages are prevalent in Chad, with young under-age girls the usual victims.
Despite a law passed in 2015 that prohibits child marriages, 60% of women aged between 20 and 24 were married when they were still children, according to figures from Chad's Institute of Statistics.
Latest Stories
-
FosCel founder calls for integration of sickle cell education into Ghana’s school curriculum
4 minutes -
GCB Bank rewards first 10 winners in ‘Pa To Pa Promo’
7 minutes -
GIPC hosts business forum with 54-member Japanese delegation following presidential state visit to Japan
14 minutes -
FosCel announces National Sickle Cell Fun Fair on Valentine’s Day
14 minutes -
Passengers tell of terror, screams and darkness after Spain train crash
33 minutes -
Transport unions form joint task force to curb indiscipline, ease Accra commuter woes
36 minutes -
At least 39 dead in Spain after two high-speed trains collide
41 minutes -
Hindsight: Will Ghana win the AFCON again?
45 minutes -
Power supply has been stable since June 2025 – Ashanti Regional Minister commends ECG
46 minutes -
No school will be under trees at Akatsi North by end of year – Nortsu-Kotoe
49 minutes -
Student arraigned over alleged GH¢24,849 ATM card fraud in Accra
60 minutes -
“Gold in the ground is not dead wealth”, Ghana’s proven gold reserves estimated at US$146bn – CPS
60 minutes -
Accra doesn’t have a transport problem, it has a reliability problem
1 hour -
Accra commuters endure long queues despite transport reforms
1 hour -
“In the midst of abundant gold, we are a liquidity trap” — Prof. Alagidede
1 hour