The Ministry of Gender has today launched the 2019-2021 District Action Plan on ending child marriages in Senanga district whose goal is to contribute to the targeted 40 percent national reduction in child marriages by 2021.
Minister of Gender Elizabeth Phiri has said that the Action Plan which has been made possible with support from UNICEF focuses on interventions to eliminate teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the District.
Mrs. Phiri said the district analysis report indicates that there is an escalating level of teenage pregnancies due to various factors that includes poverty, traditional and religious beliefs and limited access to schools especially secondary schools and weakening of community and family support systems among other pressing factors.
She said that the 2018 district situation analysis indicates that 19 girls in grade six and 16 girls in grade seven got pregnant in 2017.
Mrs. Phiri was at pains to learn that some girls start sexual relations as young as 12 years due to some traditional ceremonies which expose them to information about sex.
She is saddened that despite the main positive interventions, Government and cooperating partners are putting in place, Zambia has continued being one of the countries with high rates of child marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa as 31 percent of women aged 20-24 are married before the age of 18.
Mrs. Phiri said that irrespective of the high prevalence rates, Zambia has made a lot of progress in the fight against child marriage as in 2015, Zambia co-hosted with the African Union Commission, the first- ever African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage.
The Minister said the Ministry is also the secretariat for the Consortium on Ending Child Marriage comprising 15 Ministries.
She said the Ministry has also been coordinating national efforts against child marriage, while addressing vulnerabilities as well as consequences associated with marrying off children.
Actually girls should be taught about sexual relations from a much younger age.
This tradition has existed even before Christianity was imposed on us.
It’s appalling to watch how we are killing our Culture for the sake of $$$. Even some of our Chiefs who we expect to uphold and continue our cultural legacy are falling for the mighty Dollar.
But when we see Musicians taking photos in the nude we act surprised like we don’t know what we are doing.
It has nothing to do with traditions.
I had a girlfriend from first day at school in grade 1, at 6 years old. I still remember her name.
@ Nostra
Thats was super early!!….lol Truth be told….you are right its like fighting nature.Even biblical(jewish tradition)times,at 12,a child becomes an adult.We read about Jesus at 12 years old challenging the Teachers of law. I repeat,Iam no advocate of defilement/early marriages but Iam no blind to say relationships do not exist betweeen/among teens without their full consent.
Most European copycats would like to completely do away with such progressive African customs in the name of civilisation or Christianity. We are Africans and we should defend our Africanness. We cant allow all foreign ideologies to trample over us. What you need to do is just adjust some trainings but dont do away with African culture. People without a culture are manipulable
Someone remind this woman that its the Ministry if Gender, Gender as in both female and male Gender. Her Ministry is not a Ministry of Women and Girls Only. The idea is to promote the coexistence of both Genders on a balanced and equal terms.
Secondly, she’s supposed to work with the Ministry in charge of Culture to promote a culture of inclusiveness. Ministry of Gender was not created to kill all Zambian tradition and culture.
Very well spoken!
Well spoken. There is some misconception in Zambia.. everything centres on a woman gender ministry only addresses female issues, gbv it’s when a woman is assaulted, velentine is about women, almost all boys schools have been turned into coe but girls only schools haven’t been changed…
Just close that ministry its a waste of money. The entire ministry to look at gender equality? It can be a department at some related ministries. And save those mega salaries for the entire misguided job description less entity.
Ndipo you like sex! We should call u minister of sexual affairs. Coz anything sexual your antennas nduuu!
Bwaba Minister sexual education should be made compulsory.Iam a number one advocate for the introduction of Civic Education at senior secondary level because it contains alot of sexual education to equip our young boys and girls with the sexual knowledge.Have you ever wondered why there is low cases of HIV and teenage/unwanted pregancies in western countries despite indulging in alot of sex?Its because of sexual education which has been lacking here in Zambia.For Zambians,a parent talking openly to his children about sex,they will be like:’ imwe onani maloza/imwe moneni umupamba!!’ and yet when the same child gets pregnant/impregnants(a boy),they dont say maloza/umupamba that a young one has been impregnated/has impregnated(the defeaning silence is shocking to say the least and depicts…
…..and depicts hypocrisy).
Join me in starting a campaign to make Freedom Sikazwe Presidential candidate in 2026, the man is always smiling and I think he would lift the mood of the president. We need to first convince ECL to make him his running mate 2021 with the idea he takes over in 2026.
#freedomsikazweforvicepresident2021
#freedomsikazweforpresident2026
Your aim is to make the party lose freedom Sikazwe? You are not a genuine supporter.