The Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has commended President Hakainde Hichilema for urging the African Union Member states to take a decisive continental action against child marriage.
NGOCC Board Chairperson, Beauty Katebe has emphasised that child marriage is a significant human rights concern, with far-reaching human, social, health, and economic costs that the AU and Zambia cannot afford to ignore.
Ms Katebe applauded President Hichilema who is the African Union (AU) Champion on Ending Child Marriage when he made a clarion call on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
She lamented that Zambia, like many of its neighbors, continues to combat the challenge of child marriage, a practice she said robs young girls of their potential and future opportunities, hence President Hichilema’s call must be commended.
Ms Katebe stated that while prevalence rates have dropped from 29% in 2018 to 23.9% in 2024, significant work remains.
She stressed that President Hichilema’s renewed call to action is both timely and vital and that his stance builds on the momentum of the Marriage Act No. 13 of 2023, which legally prohibits child marriage in both traditional and statutory settings.
“The President’s consistent leadership on this issue remains a crucial catalyst for ending this practice across the continent,” Ms Katebe stated.
Ms Katebe stressed that It is crucial, therefore, that the government demonstrates its commitment to addressing child marriage by deliberately increasing resource allocation to tackle the problem.
“In line with this effort, the 2027 Budget should prioritise allocations to areas heavily affected by child marriage to support social behavioral change programmes, improve reporting, fund remedial interventions, and consolidate existing mechanisms nationwide,” she said.
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