and prejudices based on the idea of inferiority of either sex or on stereotyping roles for girls and boys;; “judicial or administrative institution” means a court, quasijudicial tribunal or administrative authority that, and any person who, interprets or applies a law affecting or impacting on a child; “law” means national legislation related to eradication of child marriage; “marriage” means a union of persons contracted statutorily, religiously, verbally or customarily; “Member State” means a Member State of the Southern African Development Community; “minimum age of marriage��� means the age of 18 years or such older age as the Constitution or law of a Member State may specify, without exception or gender discrimination; “Minister” means a Minister, in a Member State, responsible for matters relating to children; “Ministry” means the Ministry, in a Member State, responsible for children’s affairs and related matters; “Model Law” means this Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children already in Marriages; “offspring” means a child born of a child marriage; “parent" means the biological father or biological mother of a child, and includes an adoptive parent, guardian or any person or relative acting, in whatever manner, as a parent; “parental responsibility” means the duties, rights, powers, responsibilities and authority which socially, culturally, by law or otherwise, a parent has in relation to a child and exercised in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child; Page 31 of 78