Minister condemns child marriages

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability, and Social Welfare Jean Kalirani has condemned child marriages, saying it is a form of child abuse which must stop.

The minister was speaking on Tuesday at the United Nations (UN) Women-organised consultation and dialogue for traditional leaders on addressing child marriages in Africa held in Blantyre.

In her remarks, Kalilani also condemned the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

“Here in Malawi, FGM is very rare but what is termed as child marriages is child abuse,” she said.

The minister noted, however, that the country is making strides in fighting child marriages.

“In 2015, we had 50 percent, now three years down the line we have 46 percent rate of child marriages. If we continue what we are doing and involving everyone, we should see this problem reducing. We would like it to reduce to zero,” said Kalilani.

On his part, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa said it is important that chiefs are involved in wiping out the practice.

He said about 85 percent of Malawians live in rural areas, where most child marriages occur.

Said Nankhumwa: “We have examples of chiefs who are working tirelessly towards ending the practice. Our expectation is that other traditional leaders in the country will emulate them.”

He said at ministry level, they have been working with traditional leaders to come up with by-laws at village, area development committee and council levels.

His Royal Highness Prince Zolani Mkiva of South Africa said once a cultural practice harms, it ceases to be meaningful.

He said: “African culture in general is about human development and enhancement of humanity. It’s about what we call ‘Ubunthu’ so anything that goes against that ceases to be African.”

The meeting, which ends tomorrow, has attracted over 140 traditional leaders from the Eastern and Southern Africa region, and some from North Africa.