Kasungu district have registered 417 cases of child marriage from January to August this year, a situation which has put at stake the future of young girls in the district.
According to social welfare officer in Kasungu, Harrison Thindwa, the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Njombwa tops the list with 95 child marriage cases with Sub Traditional Authorities Mawawa and Mangwazu coming in second and third, having registered 73 and 63 child marriages respectively.
Thindwa said that apart from poverty, the lack of coordination between the government and organizations that are involved in the matter of child care is contributing to this practice.
Meanwhile, chairperson for civil society organizations in Kasungu Braxton Banda said that the lack of funding in the government’s child care departments is another factor that is holding back the work to end child marriage.
According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Child marriage in Malawi is a significant problem with 42.1% of women 20–24 married by age 18.
No comments! Be the first commenter?