EU, Save the Children to combat child marriages

European Union (EU) and Save the Children have appealed to people of Mwanza District to end child marriages, trafficking and other harmful cultural practices.

The two organisations say these vices frustrate children from attaining education.

Speaking at Chizumbi Primary School in the district, EU team leader for governance Jose Maria Medina said population is growing rapidly due to child marriages.

He said: “Population is expected to double in the next 20 years. Children, especially girls, need to have the opportunity to get education, find employment, choose their partners and have children when they have made up their mind.

“In this region, many girls have children at a young age which force them to quit school and create a generation cycle of poverty.”

In his remarks, Save the Children deputy country director Stanley Phiri said half of girls in the country get married before the age of 18.

“This is worrying statistics. We have started this campaign in the districts of Mwanza and Neno because they are hard-to-reach districts and we want every child to be reached in this project,” he said.

In his remarks, Association of Progressive Women (APW) executive director Noel Msiska said child marriages cannot be isolated from child trafficking.

“Most of the girls who are trafficked are forced into prostitution and early marriages,” he said.