Malawi govt proposing marriage age at 18
Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Social Welfare and Disabilities Patricia Kaliati has revealed that government has proposed 18 as the minimum marriage age for girls in the current review which is ready for Cabinet approval before it is taken to Parliament.
Currently, the minimum age is at 13 with consent from parents or guardians.
Kaliati disclosed this to journalists on Thursday at Kanongola Primary School in Salima after presiding over this year’s celebrations for the International Day for the Girl Child and the Launch of the ‘Ending Child Marriages Campaign in Malawi’.
Said Kaliati: “Government is taking serious steps towards making sure that we end child marriages and in view of this, we have stepped up efforts to review the marriage age and come up with a suitable age that will allow our girls to go far with their education.
“As of now, the Cabinet committee has already recommended that the minimum marriage age should go up to 18 years and this will be taken to full Cabinet before it is taken to Parliament.”
She also said as a way of ensuring that girls and other children are attending school, the law is going to punish all parents who send the children to sell merchandise for negligence.
In his speech, chairperson of the End Child Marriage Campaign Task-force, MacBain Mkandawire said speedy constitutional amendment of the provision on marriage age will help the campaign to achieve its objectives.
As part of their efforts to end child marriages and school dropouts by girl children in her area, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwanza in conjunction with her chiefs said they have come up with by-laws to check the malpractice.
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In as much as I agree with my friends who have well commented in this column, I have one observation that will astonish most of you. Amwenye have a tendency of abusing young Malawian girls of the age ascribed herein. They either pretend to employ them in their companies whilst abusing them sexually yet if any Malawian man or young-man is said to go out with one of their products, she is considered an outcast in their society. In Mangochi, Lilongwe and Blantyre this practice of abusing young Malawian girls is very very common. When they are getting betrothed, they… Read more »
Akweni ndi tonse okonda ana atsikana 2o yrs shld b minimum age 4 marriage kt achokerethu mu descriptn category of a child. Chaka chachi 19 is to allow for more maturity for the girl. 2o atha kukwatiwa. Komanso tichotse ka clause koti makolo alore kt mwana wamgono atha kukwatiwa koz ana ambiri are forced 2 marry 2 fulfil parental agendas. So chonde ana atsikana akwatiwe pa 2oyrs.
I wish it could have been 20 for girls and 21 for boys. Akweni, please consider my wish.
the aspects of social, cultural and economic issues should support the girls so that they are not forced into early marriages. need for more interventions addressing those aspects if we want girls to get married at 18
Honourable Patricia Kaliati is indeed one of the hardworking Cabinet Ministers. Keep it up Akweni.
We have traditions in this country and this is one of them. Why is our tradition now WRONG why must we always follow the western world. Let us not always follow what the West say and keep to our traditions.
bravo Patilisha
Boma Ilo Mama Kaliati Mwakwana I Support The Montion Keep It Up
Poverty is the biggest cause of early marriages. We need to eradicate poverty, and empower the girl child.
ndikwenitu ameneyo kuitikinyula ntchito. Chifukwa kunena zoona Ana ambiri akukwatiwa Ali ang’ono, inde n’Chifukwa cha umphawi but some of those early marriages depend on their parents which is nt gud.