‘Chidyamakanda law’ oppression for Malawi girls – activists
More rights campaigners have vehemently condemned the recent passing of the Constitutional amendment bill to allow Malawian girls to marry at the age of 16 with concert from their parents.
The dubbed “Chidyamakanda bill” was presented in parliament by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Prof Peter Mutharika and was approved.
However, the public, civil society have criticised the bill. And some members of the ruling DPP who have disclosed that they were influenced to speedily approve the amendment for girls to marry at the age of 16 from 15.
“In Parliament we are free to make decisions on issues but we do it with our political parties in mind to avoid some embarrassments. We thought the bill will include 18 years as a minimum age for marriage for women in the country,” said Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology. Otilia Jere a DPP MP disclosed this at a women’s forum in Lilongwe organized by Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR).
Rafiq Hajat, head of think-thank Institute for Police Interaction (IPI) told Nyasa Times in an interview that the newly adopted marriage age law for girls is unacceptable.
“Actually it is a travesty when one considers that one must be 18 to vote…but one can make a lifetime error legitimately at 16,” said Hajat. “It is utterly nonsensical.”
Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) has also condemned the amendment and described the new law as an oppression of girls.
In a statement issued by Yoneco Executive Director, MacBain Mkandawire, the youth rights campaigners said the law will fuel maternal mortality in the country through bleeding during births and other reproductive health related conditions such us fistula.
“Premature pregnancy carries significant health risks and pregnancy related deaths are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19 years. Early marriage also jeopardizes a girl’s right to education. In addition, married girls have few social connections, restricted, limited control over resources and little power in their new households and domestic violence is always common in such marriages,” the statement said.
“Since at the age of 16, the girl is still a child, we say, child marriage violates their human right by excluding them from decisions regarding the timing of marriage and choice of spouse,” the statement further reads.
Yoneco said Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which Malawi ratified defines the child as “every human below the age of 18 years”.
Meanwhile, Director for Girls with a Vision, Sophie Munthali has urged the communities surrounding Mzuzu City to report any cases of child abuse to relevant authorities for action to reduce the tendency.
“Some children are forced to get married at an early stage by their parents. At school they are sometimes given punishments which are tougher than their age. This is child abuse because they are being prevented from enjoying their rights,” said Munthali.
To reverse the trend, the director said her organization has embarked on ‘violence against children program’ campaign in all schools and the surrounding communities in the city.
“We want to make the society free of child abuses so that children can enjoy and know their rights like the rights to education,” she explained.
Munthali said during the program, the community, teachers and children will be sensitized on the rights of children and where to report child abuse cases.
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