By MIRIAM ZIMBA –
IT is deeply entrenched in the African culture and is wrongfully accepted as an accepted cultural practice.
Child marriage is a social ill and has received wide condemnation by the international society, human rights activists, the Church, governments and many other institutions.
It is estimated that about 700 million women and girls across the globe were married off before their 18th birthday.
In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region in particular, drivers of child marriages include oppressive and discriminative customary practices that promote the vice.
Having recognised that traditional leaders are custodians of customs and traditions which tend to drive these vices, Plan International and Women for Change (WFC) recently organised the SADC conference for traditional leaders to end child marriages.

. Paramount Chief Kyungu of Malawi(second from left) shares notes with Mwine Lubemba’s representative and Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II (left).

Chiefs and customary leaders have the ability to easily identify and advocate for the removal of harmful traditions and cultural practices perpetuating child marriages.
This conference which attracted the participation of 26 traditional leaders from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, was organised under a theme dubbed ‘Traditional Leaders: Working to end child marriages’.
During the official opening of the conference, WFC vice chairperson James Chirwa explained how the conference came in the wake of increasing girl child marriages.
“Many children today are wives and mothers to fellow children, and even if some of our African cultures and traditions may allow such vices as being normal, time has come to turn the situation around,” he explains.
This of course, stems from the African measure determining a girl’s readiness for marriage when she attains puberty.
Dr Chirwa called for the immediate need to do away with what he describes as extremely abusive traditions that are retrogressive to developmental causes.
He expressed confidence that as custodians of culture, chiefs are best placed to utilise their community structures to free girls from oppressive abusive traditions.
“It is, therefore, within the power of our traditional leaders to influence change among their subjects and our respective national and international laws are very clear on the issue of child marriages. Let us work with our respective governments to stop this dehumanising and abusive vice,” Dr Chirwa explains.
When girls are turned into wives, and become mothers, several of their rights are violated.
The worst aspect is that they are condemned to a life of poverty and being secondary citizens, while their rights to education and protection against all forms of violence are violated.
The long term impact of this is not limited to the girl when she becomes a woman, but extends to the family and society in which she lives.
For example, if a girl is married off early, her right to education is violated and the trickle-down effect is that,  she will not be able to realise her full potential and attain economic independence.
This makes it difficult for her to leave an abusive relationship for fear of facing repercussions, and further, she will not be able to provide for her family in instances where her husband is unable to do so or when he dies.
Ultimately, this contributes to increase in poverty levels in society.
He appealed for the eradication of the vice to allow girls attain education and be able to explore their potential in various economic spheres.
“Let us discard all traditional and cultural values that segregate and are injurious to the development of children especially girls,” he said.
Plan International Country Director Samuel Musyioki echoed sentiments raised by Dr Chirwa. He emphasised the need to intensify efforts to address entrenched cultural beliefs that deprive girls of their
childhood, their liberty and freedom to enjoy their rights, particularly the right to education.
Mr Musyioki called for enabling legal and policy environment that can ensure the provision of protection of girls from early marriages.
“We know we can have laws, but enforcing these laws also requires the assistance of traditional leaders, who are on the ground.
“There is no value in having a good law that is not enforced and it can even be possible to create a culture where one does not need to apply that law because people would have bought into the idea of ending child marriages,” he said.
In response to the concerns raised on issues relating to child marriages, Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister John Akufuna
said the Zambian Government is highly concerned about this vice and has taken several steps to address it. The actions include the creation of the victim support unit (VSU) in the Zambia Police, and the enactment of the Anti-GBV Act.
He said because Zambia is also a signatory to various international instruments that will go a long way in addressing challenges relating to child marriages.
“The Zambian Government is convinced that traditional leaders are key drivers of development because of their position in the African society,” he said.
After all these calls, traditional leaders in the region also made their commitment through a jointly signed declaration to end child marriages in their respective countries.
In the preamble of this declaration, the 26 traditional leaders  in attendance,  made the declaration as an
embodiment of their commitment to ending child marriages in the four countries.
‘We shall foster community dialogue to ensure better understanding of the international, regional and domestic human rights instruments that guarantee protection of children especially girls.
‘We shall urge the governments in our countries to domesticate the international instruments that safeguard the rights of girls and boys.
We shall conduct community sensitisations to remove the secrecy surrounding child marriages,’ read the declaration.
They resolved to advocate for the increase in the age for marriage from 18 years to 21 years in order to safeguard the physical, psychological and social development of a girl-child.
They also resolved to promote behaviour and attitude change that support social transformation to ensure better education for girls.
‘We shall advocate for the inclusion of positive cultural values which promote community ownership of children, protect and promote the life and dignity of girls in our respective countries.
‘We shall introduce by-laws in our chiefdoms to abolish negative cultural, traditional and customary practices that promote child marriages,” read the declaration.
They called for the harmonisation of the legal framework to protect the rights of children, especially those of a girl child.
They made a resolve to advocate for the enactment of or review of the laws that guarantee the punishment of perpetrators of child marriages and to establish safe houses to protect survivors of the vice and other harmful practices.
They pledged to collaborate with stakeholders like civil society organisations, faith based organisations (FBOs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and others to ensure that children in their chiefdoms enjoy their human rights and in particular their right to education.
‘We shall introduce adult literacy classes for women and men in our chiefdoms and promote their appreciation of girl child education.
‘We shall work with the available media to stimulate discussions to highlight dangers, consequences and impact of child marriages and the need to protect and safeguard development of the girl child, ran the
declaration.
The traditional leaders pledged to foster dialogue with Government to ensure that some of the resources received by their respective governments from donors are channelled to the fight against child marriages.
‘We shall foster dialogue with governments in our own countries to ensure that our declaration to end child marriages by promoting and protecting the rights of children especially girls.
‘We shall establish committees in our chiefdoms to undertake programmes that address root causes of child marriages and monitor the implementation of the resolutions contained in this declaration,” read the declaration.
For now, SADC will wait to see how traditional leaders who are front-liners will honour their pledge to lobby for the enactment of legislation to protect children from child marriage.
It remains to be seen how they will play their role in enforcing laws and holding their governments in their countries accountable in ensuring that practices of child marriage are brought to an end.
This is because traditional leaders have been recognised as catalysts and champions in advocating for the enactment of laws that protect against child marriage and ensure successful implementation and enforcement of such laws.