Malawi under pressure to pass Marriage Bill
Malawi government authorities are called upon to work with haste to pass the Marriage Bill, which has been shelved at cabinet level since 2006.
The call from Catholic Education Commission in Malawi (Cecom) of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) was made Thursday when the Malawi launching the ‘end child marriages campaign’.
Cecom National Education Programme Coordinator Stephen Mgalileya Ndhlovu says it’s sad that the country does not have a specific minimum age allowing for marriage until today.
“Child marriages are a common place in Malawi at the moment. Malawi is among 20 countries with highest rates of child marriages – ranks at position 7. This is not good for a country grappling with serious levels of poverty, a country that already ranks 170 on United Nations Human Development Index,” he said.
Ndhlovu said child marriages take children out of school and essentially chocks any desire and ambition to continue with education.
“Uneducated girls are more prone to abuse, and have little prospect of developing and fruitfully participate or develop their own lives and of their families; more so because of the cultural tendencies rampant in Malawi that perpetuate male dominance,” he said.
However, the country ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which recognises 18 as legal marriage age.
“At present, therefore, it is right to state that Malawi is in breach of an international instrument she ratified. We must all get serious. Laws that safeguard girls in this country must be put in place for us to make headway on the child marriage campaign,” Ndhlovu observed.
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati said such experiences shall come to an end soon.
“Under my authority, the ministry is into serious business and will ensure that Malawi is a child-marriage free country,” Kaliati explains.
She said the Marriage Bill will be presented to the forth coming sitting of parliament hence all the concerns raised will be addressed.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Zopanda mchere
ndibwino kuwaikila zaka zokwatirana komanso kuika lamulo lokakamiza mwana aliyense kupita kusukulu kuti malawi likhale dziko lozindikira ndi lozeka
Kodi mukati 18yrs is not responsible kulowa m.banja mukufuna mutanthauze chiyani?
18 yrs. Ndizaka zoyenera kulowa m’banja, coz mmene moyo uno uliri 22yrs ndipatali mukungofuna podyera. Ife eni ake achinyamata tikuona kuti 18 yrs ikukwanira
Yavuta donor money. Munadya koma utsi sunatuluke. Malawi kupupuluma ndi malamulo? Lamulo loyambilira apa ndi compulsory education.
Are you trying to tell me that somebody should be free to get married if they are 8 years old simply because its their right ? People should get married when they are matured enough biologically , psychologically and even economically. Sorry to say this , but early marriages which this bill is trying to discourage are a major cause of abject poverty and high levels of dependence in our society. Unless you want Malawi to stay poor for the next 1000 years then their is some merit in your reasoning guys!
Ndipo balibe chinthu chonyasa ngati kumupangila mwina nthawi yoti adzakwatiwe,anthu amatha nsinkhu mosiyanasiya,izi zichitisa kuti uhule upite patsogolo ngati njira imozi yothesera zilakolako kwa omwe atha msinkhu.
Muaphwanyira ufulu a Chawa ndi Mulhako. Mitundu yiwiriyi ndiyokonda ayichukucha kwabasi. They believe in quantity and not quality. Mxiii!!!
The fact that you want to date limit adge for marriage is a significant of rights violation because its not the choice I the individual. Late the choose when to get married
Ufulu kumaulemekeze mbali zonse. Mukuwaphanyira ufulu kuwapangira zaka. Asiyeni ngati Ayawo ndi Alomwe, alibe kuwona zaka, koma kukwanitsa.