Rising child marriages worry women lobby group

THE escalating number of early marriages in Mkushi is worrying and should be checked, says the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) in the area.

Speaking in interview with the Daily Nation, district chairperson Getrude Banda said early marriages were a source of concern in communities in the area as girls were being deprived of their right to education and ended up as destitute in society.

Ms. Banda said there was need for government to stiffen punishment on the perpetrators of the vice so that this could be serve as a deterrent to who would be violators of the law.

Ms. Banda said the vice did not only induce untold suffering on young women, but exposed them to health complications due to tender ages and not being ready for the responsibility.

“Early marriages are detrimental on the life of girl children. Government must do something to arrest the situation which seem to be getting out of hand. Parents being in the forefront of arranging marriages of inconveniences must also be punished severely.” Ms. Banda said.

Ms. Banda further castigated mothers who she said are taking a leading role in organising early marriages solely for material gain from their sons-in-laws because of poverty at household level.

The district chairlady charged that instead of the women folk promoting the girl child education, they were busy arranging such marriages which was also contrary to the laws of the land.

Ms. Banda advised women to do away with traditional values that encouraged early marriages and instead look at the future of girl children as regards to education which she said was the only key to success especially for young women.

“Mothers should not take interest in financial and material gain from sons-in-law, but at the education, health and welfare of girls. It is high time mothers in rural communities waged war against early marriages for the betterment of both their life and girl children.

“They say, if you educate a girl child you educate the family rather the nation.” Ms Banda stressed.

Ms. Banda implored mothers in the forefront in girl child arranged marriages to refrain from the act because it only brought about more harm than good for the future of married off girls.

Ms. Banda’s comment came in the wake of reported rampant cases of early marriages in the area citing in Kangili Primary School where about 30 female pupils were married off at tender ages in recent past.

Ms. Banda therefore called on relevant government ministries and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) looking into the plights of girl children to work together and ensure that the reported 30 married off girls were taken back to school including those not reported but married off.