Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum has called for concerted efforts to eradicate child marriages in Zambia.
Speaking during a national follow up workshop on child marriages in Lusaka today,SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General Esau Chiuiya has described child marriages as a devastating phenomenon which is robbing the girl child of a bright future.
Dr. Chiuiya notes that it is disheartening to have over 15 million girls worldwide married off before the age of eighteen.
Dr. Chiuiya says it is in this regards that the SADC Parliamentary Forum is collaborating with Plan Zambia, the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) in combating child marriages.
He states that the Zambian Government deserve to be commended for the steps it has taken in addressing the issue of early marriages which are already bearing fruit especially in communities.
Dr Chiuiya stresses the need for Zambian Parliamentarian to step up efforts in engaging with relevant stakeholders in combating child marriages, especially that Zambia has the highest child marriage prevalence rate worldwide at 42 percent.
And speaking at the same function, AWEPA Chairperson and Honorary member of the Beguile Parliament Magdalena de Meyer says Zambia has the potential to do better in combating child marriages.
Ms. Meyer says coming up with child marriage laws and consistency in implementing such laws is key to end the practice.