The problem of child marriages continues to rear its ugly head in the country, with about 46 percent of girls being married before the age of 18, and 9 percent before the age of 15, according to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).
This is despite that a 2017 constitutional amendment culminated in the raising of the age of marriage to 18 for both girls and boys.
In Machinga District, the situation rings true as, from 2023 to 2024, 75 girls in the age ranges of 13 to 16 have been married in Traditional Authority Mposa alone.
Take, for instance, Maria Makayika from the area.
She got married at the age of 17 after falling pregnant in 2020.
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But all was not rosy in her marriage, which only lasted for a year, with beatings and lack of food being the order of the day.
“I decided to go back to school and, now, I’m in form. My dream is to become a lawyer,” Maria said.
Maria’s mother, Patuma Hadji Makayika, said she was elated by her daughter’s decision.
“Honestly, I always wish her the best of luck,” she explained.
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Another girl, Daina Awali, dropped out of school in standard 6 and resorted to marriage in 2023.
She did so at the age of 13.
Now rescued and back in school, she kept returning home as her husband was failing to provide for her.
After three months, her mother, Ethel Awali, informed the area’s Anti- Child Marriage Committee, which rescued her.
Felia Dula, a Child Protection Officer in Traditional Authority (TA) Mposa, said the problem of child marriage is so grave that approximately 10 percent of girls do not finish their primary school education.
“We have only managed to rescue 22 out of the 75 girls from such unions and we must admit that we are doing poorly. The challenge is that the issue is multifaceted and that’s why we appear to be doing little,” she pointed out.
Poverty and peer pressure are the main causes of such unions, said Dula, as, in some case, parents support such decisions as a means of addressing poverty in their homes.
Alison Ombani, who is the head teacher at Namazengeza Primary School in Machinga District, concurs with Dula, saying some parents are complicit on the issue of child marriage.
He said despite TA Mposa establishing by-laws to curb the practice, such decrees are not adhered to by community members, rendering the fight against child marriages futile.
Commenting on the matter, Director of Child rights at the Malawi Human Commission, Priscilla Thawi, said it is disheartening that the problem is still persisting despite several interventions to address it.
“We have been to districts such as Mwanza, Neno and Mzimba and what we find is that some parents tend to lie about the age of children who have been married off.
“As for those we manage to rescue, they [children] tend to go back because their parents are failing to provide for their basic needs,” Thawi indicated.
Thawi also called for a review of the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act to ensure it that criminalises child marriage.
George Jobe, who is the executive director (ED) of the Malawi Health Equity Network, said child marriages have led to health complications among girls, hence the need for vigorous public awareness campaigns.
“There are cases of fistula, miscarriage and, in some instances, death that have been recorded. The mental health of such girls is also affected even if they are rescued from marriage because they experience sexual abuse and are subjected to violence,” Jobe said.
Benedicto Kondowe, who is Civil Society Education Coalition ED, said child marriages are compounding poverty among women in Malawi, hence the need to promote education among girls.
“The only way out is to ensure that we educate these girls because, once they are financially independent, they will make sound decisions and will not rush into marriage. But, as things stand, this is having ripple effects because, once they bear children, it is highly likely that their children will also not be educated and will get married early,” Kondowe stressed.
Meanwhile, some community members continue to exploit gaps in laws and unsuspecting girls, thereby fuelling the fire of child marriage.
