Child Rights Activist, Maxwell Matewere says much focus on the root causes of child marriages is needed in order to deal with the problem in the country.

Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with approximately 1 in 2 girls married by the age of 18.

In an interview with YFM, Matewere said child marriages can be addressed if there is protective environment that deters girls to get in marriage at a tender age.

“We really needed to do more in terms in addressing the root and also creating a protective environment that can discourage children to go into early marriages,” he said.

Matewere advised government to adopt new strategies on the matter.

“We need to be honest with our interventions in 2018. We should also adopt new strategies that will prevent girls to get into marriage at premature age,” he added.