Fight against teenage pregnancies applauded

GOVERNMENT has been applauded for diligently fighting early child marriages and teenage pregnancies in the country by the United Kingdom (UK).

Department for International Development Head, Acting Head of Office, Dr. Sarah Goldsmith said the UK Government was pleased by the determination of the Zambian government in the roles it played to end early child marriages in various parts of the nation.

Dr. Goldsmith said it was pleasing to be part of a team that was working tirelessly to impart messages in the people against child marriages and teenage pregnancies in the country.

“Child marriages can be seen as a violation of the basic rights of unfair equitable rights at an individual level, but collectively it can be seen as a risk of having a lost generation without skills and the knowledge to be competitive in school and work.

“It is therefore, a priority of the UK government which is currently working with USAID and UNFPA to help communities in Zambia to achieve a violence free environment for both girls and boys in the country,” she stated.

Ms. Goldsmith said most of the violence, HIV and maternal deaths had a massive negative impact on the economic growth of the country by not having a lot of educated girls in the work industry which would boost the alleviation of poverty and increase opportunities for the entire nation because the children born from such women would grow up with the necessary empowerment.

And Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister, Lawrence Sichalwe said there were a lot of risks associated with child marriages and child advancement in any given society.

Mr. Sichalwe said the Ministry believed that a lot of collaboration among the cooperating partners, chiefdoms and the government will offer a solid foundation to protect girls from Child marriages and teenage pregnancies through dialogue with the victims.

He stated that in 2013, a percentage of 31.4 girls were reported to have been married off before their 18th birthday.