Family in Kiribati

Family relationships in Kiribati commonly include extended kinship and multigenerational households. The 2020 census records spouses, children, parents, siblings, other relatives and sons- or daughters-in-law within households. Children may move from outer islands to South Tarawa for school or work and live with relatives. A 2008 baseline found that 25% of adults had a biological child living outside their household, while climate and work-related migration can increase separation and care responsibilities. Marriage registration is handled through the Ministry of Justice and the Registrar-General, with the main service located in Bairiki. The Marriage Ordinance and Marriage (Amendment) Act 2002 set the minimum marriage age at 18. A person under 21 who has not been widowed generally needs written consent from both parents or a guardian; the Registrar-General can replace that consent only in narrowly defined circumstances. Customary and religious marriages, as well as cohabitation, can be recognised as domestic relationships for family-protection purposes even when civil registration is separate. Parents and family members hold the primary safeguarding and wellbeing role for children. Duties include providing food, housing, clothing, immunisation, medical care and support for development. A parent, child or young person can ask a Social Welfare Officer for help. Families, communities, government bodies, non-government organisations, churches, faith-based organisations and community leaders may provide prevention, support and early-intervention services. A concern about a child's safety can be reported to the Director, a Social Welfare Officer or the Kiribati Police Service. A report can be made anonymously, and the law protects people who report concerns. Police should secure immediate safety and inform the relevant welfare authority. Social welfare officers and police can place a child in a place of safety when there is an immediate danger, and a court can issue a care-and-protection order. Interim maintenance may be available. The People's Lawyer can assist with independent representation for a child, subject to access and capacity. The Te Rau N Te Mwenga Act, also called the Family Peace Act, covers domestic relationships including legal, customary and religious marriages, cohabitation, shared parenthood, adoption relationships, engagement or courtship, shared residence and ongoing care dependency within the same household. It covers physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, psychological and economic violence, whether a single act or a pattern of conduct. The Magistrate's Court operates nationally for protection applications. An emergency protection order can be issued on the same day and can last up to 28 days; a temporary protection order can last up to 90 days. A Police Safety Order can require weapons to be surrendered and a person to leave the home. Police must prosecute when sufficient evidence exists and should not direct the complainant into reconciliation. Information, shelter, medical care and counselling may be available through SafeNet, the Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre and other services. Family transitions can involve temporary custody, access or protection arrangements. The Children, Young People and Family Welfare Act 2013 allows a child to return to parents when there is a sufficient agreement, but a complete current pathway for divorce and maintenance is not established by the available research. Kiribati has no clearly evidenced indigenous adoption statute; the adapted UK Adoption Act 1958 applies, and only people domiciled in Kiribati may adopt Kiribati orphans under the relevant rules. The High Court has jurisdiction. The People's Lawyer or the Attorney-General may provide an access pathway, but adoption agencies, costs and processing times are not published. Families and communities remain the main caregivers for dependent relatives. Formal disability and family benefits are fragmented. UNICEF reported that 21% of the total population received at least one benefit, while the available figures recorded 1% of children receiving social protection, 1% of children or households receiving a child cash benefit and 16% of people in poverty receiving a social-assistance cash benefit. Data was unavailable for newborn cash benefits and severe-disability benefits, so no universal family allowance should be assumed. The Ministry of Justice and Registrar-General handle civil registration of births, deaths and marriages. Certificate services are available in Bairiki, and the recorded certificate fee is 5, although the available research does not clearly establish the currency or whether arrangements differ on remote islands. Birth registration reached 92% for children under five in 2021. No nationwide funeral or bereavement payment is directly evidenced; families generally rely on relatives, communities, faith-based groups and social-welfare structures. Family needs are particularly significant where violence, poverty, education, nutrition, care or island distance create pressure. Survey-based figures recorded violent discipline for 92% of children aged 1 to 14 in 2019, intimate-partner violence experienced by 25% of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 or older in 2018, marriage before age 18 for 18% of women aged 20 to 24 in 2019, and multidimensional poverty for 24% of children in 2023–24. These figures belong to their stated survey years and should not be treated as current prevalence rates. Formal services are legally available nationwide, but transport, staffing and service reach can delay access on outer islands.