Campaign against child marriages intensifies in Mkushi

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A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Mkushi district has implored parents and guardians to desist from citing economic reasons as an excuse to marry off their children at an early age.

 

Campaign Against Early Marriages (CAEM) Coordinator for Mkushi and Luano districts, Amos Kapande, stated this to ZANIS today.

 

Fr Kapande explained that there was need for guardians to acknowledge that Government had outlawed early marriages saying that the objective was aimed at promoting full education for the girl child.

 

“Once girls are educated, they are self-reliant,” he said, adding that there was need for parents and guardians to seriously consider exploring as many avenues in seeking advice from government, Non-Governmental as well as traditional authorities on the matter.

 

He elaborated that this would help them mitigate the poverty aspect that confines them into marrying off their children at an early age.

 

Fr Kapande said access to full education was essentially a long term remedy that would help girls and their families to stand a chance in escaping the cycle of poverty.

 

He further pointed out that early marriages posed a threat to the lives of girls, adding that health authorities discouraged this in the interest of the expectant young mothers.

 

Fr Kapande said that the onus of successfully campaigning against early marriages was on parents and guardians in communities as this social scourge was rampart in both Mkushi and Luano district.

 

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