Esther Lungu wants National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage shared

First Lady Esther Lungu

First Lady Esther Lungu says the approval of the National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage should be widely shared across all stakeholders.

Speaking during the Orientation and Dialogue meeting with spouses of traditional leaders in Lusaka, Mrs. Lungu says the nation is waiting anxiously for the launch of the action plan that will operationalize the strategy.

Mrs. Lungu says traditional leaders being the custodians of customs and traditions are the best suited agents of change and initiators of change to discard practices that promote early child marriages.

Mrs. Lungu says although child marriage practice has decreased in recent decades, it still remains common.

The First Lady says the workshop is timely considering that spouses of traditional leaders are key as they will provide leadership in their chiefdoms by championing the fight against early marriages, teenage pregnancy and gender based violence.

And Interim UN Country Director who is also UNICEF Country representative Noala Skinner says there is need to start addressing circumstances that make marriage and motherhood options for girls.

Ms. Skinner says traditional leaders’ spouses play a critical role in addressing issues which affect people in their chiefdoms including the well being of children.

Speaking earlier, Interim Department for International Development (DFID) country representative, Dr. Sarah Goldsmith has expressed hope that by working together, Zambia can make progress towards promoting women’s rights, ending violence against women, ending child marriage and other forms of discrimination against women and girls.

Meanwhile Chiefs and Traditional Minister Lawrence Sichalwe has appealed to spouses of Traditional leaders in the country to partner with other stakeholders in fighting vices such as child marriage.

And Gender Minister Victoria Kalima says government is targeting to reduce early child marriages by 2030.

Ms. Kalima says in order to achieve this government has come up with measures such as the national strategy on ending child marriage in Zambia 2016-2021.