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President Hakainde Hichilema has called on various stakeholders such as traditional leaders, the United Nations Agencies, among others to work together in ensuring that child marriage is brought under control in Zambia.
Hichilema made these remarks in a speech read on his behalf by Finance and National Planning Minister, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, during dialogue meeting with the House of Chiefs and the Parliamentary Caucus on Ending Child Marriage held on Friday in Lusaka.
The Head of State is concerned that child marriages and teenage pregnancies remain a social and developmental challenge that have a life-long impact on children particularly the girl child.
He said government will, by all means, strive to create an enabling environment that protects and promotes the rights and obligations of children and foster their participation in the governance system.
“The vice has long term consequences such as denying children the opportunity to acquire academic and life skills to liberate themselves and their families from the inter-generational cycle of poverty,” Hichilema said.
He said ending child marriages is among the top priorities for government, as it will ensure the young people’s equitable participation in the development of this country.
“To demonstrate government’s desire to ending child marriage, the government launched a campaign to end child marriage in 2013 and to this end, a number of national strategies to eradicate the practice have been implemented,” Hichilema said.
He added that among the many strategies is the formulation of the National Child Policy and the National Plan of Action for Children in Zambia.
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