MINISTER of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Nkandu Luo says girls who are affected by poverty, illiteracy and long-standing traditional practices are most vulnerable to child marriage.
Professor Luo said there are many drivers of child marriages which vary from one place to another.
The minister said this during an `End Child Marriage’ campaign meeting for members of Parliament (MPs) in Lusaka yesterday.
Prof Luo said Zambia has one of the highest rates of child marriage with 42 percent of women aged between 20 to 24 years being married by the age of 18.
“The rates of child marriage vary from one region to another, and are as high as 60 percent in Eastern Province,” Prof Luo said
She said last year Government launched a nationwide campaign to end child marriages in a bid to draw attention to the harmful impact of the vice.
Prof Luo said the campaign is aimed at encouraging communities to delay marriage of their daughters.
She said Lusaka Province has the lowest rate of child marriages which stands at 28 percent.
Eastern Province has the highest rate followed by Luapula and Western provinces.
Prof Luo said Government has commissioned a study to determine causes of child marriage and to explore measures to curb the vice.
She also said some customary legal systems allow girls to be married soon after reaching puberty but that most traditional leaders are discouraging this.
But you are the same people who are creating poverty in the country and yet you are pretending to be not responsible.
So the reason why Nkandu Luo is not married is because her family is rich?
Even a 25 year of today is a kid. If you compare pictures of the first year at UNZA today, and those of us in 1995 (I dropped out, no money), you will notice big difference:
– Girls with no boobs today.
– Boys of today have not even a mustache, think of 1980 at UNZA, they all had a Kapwepwe beards.
You are the same chaps perpetuating the the same, instead you are fattening yourselves.look at kambwili, even our late president was dismayed at his volume.do unto others as u…..
Even backwards politicians like you Nkandu Luo are sources of poverty.
It’s the same issues known for years. In the same instance..how could one enter into a campaign “a year ago” without first researching and understanding the issue, then a year later commission a study to find out why this is happening? Is that logical from a ministry headed by a supposed prof. Talk talk and more talk. This is a travesty that should be dealt with harsh laws and sensitivity not mediocre studies and workshops that use the very funds meant for action.
So its early marriages tht make u dress like a prostitute