early marriages worry NGOCC


By Chali Mulenga

Non Governmental Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Provincial Liason Officer Faith Simukoko has bemoaned the ever increasing number of early marriages in southern province.

Speaking in an interview in Livingstone, she revealed that the leading towns in the province in terms of early marriage for young girls are Livingstone and Kalomo.

“It is very difficult to empower women if they lack proper education as education is very important in the empowerment of women for the future,” she said.

Ms. Simukoko said each year the number of girls dropping out of school keeps increasing.

“The most worrying area where rampant cases of early marriages are being reported is Sinkobo area in Livingstone where one of the local head teachers complained of the alarming trend,” she stated.

She noted that the matter needs to tackled as soon as possible by all stakeholders especially the traditional leaders.

“It quite a saddening thing, as we are talking about the empowerment of women can be very difficult if the women are not empowered with education ,because for them to have representation at all levels we need women who are educated,’’ she said

“if our girl child right now is being left out in terms of education it means the empowerment of women in the future is still blink because will still have more women who are illiterate especially with the high
numbers of early marriages in the province’’, she added

She said it remains a challenge for the organizations well as other non governmental organizations dealing in the same to intensify sensitization on the same and for government to step in and help
address the matter.

She called on government to implement the Gender Based Ac t and to ensure that it involves traditional leaders in the fight against early marriages for young girls.

“its not a one man show all key stakeholders need to move and its our appeal to the government to ensure that some measures are put in place so that in as much as we are talking about the Act, the GBV Act there is need for implementation” , she said.
She added that traditional leaders play a critical role in terms of ensuring that their subordinates adhere to the importance of sending a girl child to school because they are closer to the people and can easily educate them against such vices.
ENDS

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