KUKWATILISA BANA TILEKE - STOP CHILD MARRIAGES

By Mwiza Zulu

The Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs has launched a national campaign against early marriages. The launch which took place on Saturday, 13^th April 2013 in Chipata Eastern Province was held under the theme, ‘end child marriages; let girls be girls, not brides’.

Present at the event were Zambia’s First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba, his Royal Highness Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people, UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Ms Gita Gupta, cabinet ministers and many other dignitaries.

In his welcoming remarks, Eastern Province Minister Mr Malonzo Sichone said that early marriages deny the girls and boys of their youth. He said it is also a violation of their fundamental rights and that it was for this reason that the campaign was launched.

In a speech read for him by Mr. George Zulu, Paramount Chief Mpezeni promised his total support to the campaign. He said he was ready to take centre stage in the fight against early marriages. “Girls involved in early marriages are exposed to many health risks”, Mpenzeni said.

Chief Mpezeni added that the government should not be left alone in the fight against early marriages. He further encouraged the traditional community to help in this fight.

Chief Mpezeni further urged the government to create mechanisms to allow chiefs to enforce panic punishment for perpetrators.

The Chief also urged parents to let their children go to school and not marry them off.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Ms Gita Gupta said everyone should not take early marriage as tradition because tradition can change.

“We need to focus on giving disadvantaged families opportunities as alternatives to marrying off their daughters.” She lamented.

The legal marriage age should change so that early marriages should not be justified as culturally acceptable she further said.

Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Prof. Nkandu Luo whose Ministry is behind the campaign said the fight against early marriages is a regional issue and not only a national issue.

And First Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba who was Guest of Honour at the launch said child marriage is one of the most severe violations of child rights. She said child marriages expose the children to violence and abuse and deny children their childhood. The First Lady clearly showed her support to the campaign against early marriages as she frequently said  during her speech, ‘kukwatilisa bana tileke’, which means stop child marriages.

She stated that the government needs to strive to end poverty which is one of the major contributors to early marriages.

She further urged the government to tackle the issue of definition of a child. She said both Customary and Statutory Law should recognize a child as a person below the age of 18.

Child marriage can be stopped in one generation and this campaign is a step forward in the fight against child marriages.

Just as our First Lady put it, ‘kukwatilisa bana tileke’, let girls be girls, not brides. The Children’s News Agency with support from European Union