Guyana lawmakers vote to raise consent age

Guyanese lawmakers voted to raise the age of female sexual consent from 13 years old to 16, despite months of lobbying from groups who said the age should have been 18. Legislators voted unanimously to abolish British colonial era laws allowing girls to have sex with men legally at 13. Thursday's vote raising the age to 16 passed 57-0. President Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to sign the measure into law.

source: Guyana lawmakers vote to raise consent age; seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102AP_Guyana_Age_of_Consent.html; The Associated Press; 28 October 2005