The Education Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM)
has expressed worry over the increased growing rate of child marriages
especially girls in the country.
ECM’s National Education Programme Coordinator, Steven Ndlovu said
the development may negatively affect girls’ education if not proper
checked.
He said statistics indicates that Malawi is amongst the ten countries
in the world with highest rate of child marriages which is currently at
almost 50 percent.
“As ECM Education Office, through various literatures that we have
gone through observe that there is a high child marriage rate in the
country which is mainly affecting our girls hence the need to check on
this by among others promoting girls education. Currently the rate is at
50 percent meaning that girls below the ages of 18 are getting married
rather than attaining to education,” said Ndlovu.
According to Ndlovu, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, goal
number two stipulates the need to “achieving education for all” but
with the current situation, it is so doubtful if Malawi as a nation will
achieve this goal by 2015.
“What we mean here is that we should create a conducive environment
to our girls as a way of making sure that there is access to universal
basic education that will enable our children go to school rather that
getting married before finishing school,” he said.
In a bid to arrest the challenge however, ECM has developed a
national programme which is currently seeking funding from the donor
partners aimed at promoting and safe guarding girls’ education.
Ndlovu said the program which has been designed to lobby for
constitutional change on marriage act is now at an advanced stage and
soon it will be shared out to the donor partners to come in and assist.
He said the program will strive to make communities raise awareness
on the re-admission policy in the Ministry of Education hence promote
the initiative.
“Our program which is not only targeting Catholics but carters for
every Malawian child in the country will among others engage girls and
boys to participate in different activities through radio and stage
drama competitions which will be centered on child marriage issues. By
so doing, issues that affect our boys and girls will best be presented
by themselves and later be dealt with by our policy makers, religious
leaders and politicians among others,” said Ndlovu.
He said the program will provide a platform for a girl child to
express what she or her friend go through to competently move or
influence the country’s leadership be it in the church or government to
consider rescuing the danger.