Zambia makes achievements in ending child marriage

Gender Minister Victoria Kalima says Zambia has made notable achievements in ending child marriage from the time the campaign against the practice was launched in 2013.

Speaking during an orientation workshop on child marriage for ministries in Lusaka this morning, Ms. Kalima however, notes that despite the achievements made, child marriages have continued with 31 percent of girls being married off before their eighteenth birthday.

Vistoria-Kalima

Victoria Kalima

She says the future of many affected girls and boys has been jeopardized as they have been made to withdraw from school and confined to the poverty circle.

Ms. Kalima says child marriage is both a human right as well as a developmental concern as it deprives girls and boys the enjoyment of their rights while reversing the socio and economic developments of communities and the country as a whole.

She states that it is therefore important that policy and decision makers have constant engagements to reflect on child marriage in order to have effective evidence based decisions and policies.

And United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country representative Dr. Hamid El Bashir has reaffirmed the UN agency’s commitment to supporting government’s efforts in addressing child marriage.

And Community Development Minister Emerine Kabanshi says there is need to deal with the factors that contribute to child marriages among them poverty at household levels, lack of information on sexual reproduction among others if child marriage is to be dealt with.

On his part, Justice Minister Given Lubinda said criminalization of child marriage must not necessarily be the solution to ending child marriage, but that ending the practice requires a multi sectoral approach.

And Traditional Affairs Minister Lawrence Sichalwe says his ministry working with traditional leaders in the country has withdrawn a good number of children from child marriage and reintegrated them into schools.

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