Girls Not Brides Malawi National Partnership, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has launched the Malawi Accelerator Programme (MAP), which seeks to end child marriages in Mzimba District.
Speaking on Monday during the project presentation to Mzimba District Executive Committee members, Girls Not Brides regional coordinator (North) Pearson Malisau said Mzimba continues to register high cases of child marriages.
He said: “The programme seeks to respond to high cases of child marriages in the district and we want to address the problem.
leaders. | Elton Mhango
“It is a five-year intervention and our focus is to strengthen
local action, shift social norms and enforce legal reforms to protect girls’ rights.”
Malisau said to achieve the objectives, they will involve traditional leaders to break harmful cultural practices that
contribute to early marriages and ensure girls are withdrawn from such marriages.
“By working with stakeholders in advocacy and traditional leaders, we will terminate such marriages and provide support for girls to return to school,” he said.
Mzimba South district social welfare officer Bernard Nangwale welcomed the project, saying it will help to protect girls from harmful practices that lead them to early marriages.
“We are still registering high cases of early marriages partly due to culture and parents marrying off their young daughters to men who trek to South Africa for material gains,” he said.
M’mbelwa District Council director of education, youth and sports Bridget Nungu also hailed the intervention.
She said it will play a significant role in ensuring that young girls are not married off and remain in school to achieve their dreams.
MAP will be implemented in Mzimba and Machinga districts with financial support from the United Nations, Unicef and Girls Not Brides Global
