The country`s First Lady Monica Chakwera has expressed dismay over increasing numbers of early pregnancies and child marriages across the country.
Chakwera said this on Friday in Lilongwe at Mitondo Primary School during commemoration of a girl child, a day which is celebrated on 11th October globally, but it was commemorated on October 16 in Malawi.
Speaking during the commemoration, the First Lady said it is worrisome to note that Malawi is trending on position 7 on issues to do with early pregnancies and marriages across the global.
She asked mothers to guard their girl child if they are to see them finish their education.
In an interview with YFM, Minister of Community Development and Social welfare Patricia Kaliati said the Tonse-led administration has put in place effective measures aiming at terminating child marriages by year 2023.
“We have dissolved a number of marriages up to four thousand we are making sure that come 2023 we should not even have a girl being in marriage but a girl being in school.
“And when you leave girls longer in schools, they are going to make very rightful decision and we are going to reduce a number of challenges even in hospitals,” said Kaliati.
Meanwhile, World Vision Malawi through its Director of Programmes Charles Chimombo has called for concerted efforts in order to deal away with the vice.
“Up to half of children in Malawi are getting married before they aged 18 and nearly 30% get pregnant when they are only teens and this is the problem that we have and we need all to come together to solve this problem,” said Chimombo.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the country witnessed a rise in cases of teenage pregnancies and marriages largely due to closure of schools.
