Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 30 views

    Information Brief - Child Marriage in Zambia

    Uploaded by

    Luwizy Phiri
    Child marriage is common in Zambia, with 31% of women marrying before age 18. It is most prevalent in rural areas, reaching 60% in some eastern regions. Poverty, vulnerability of orphans and stepchildren, and beliefs about protecting girls' sexuality contribute to child marriage. Effects include perpetuating poverty through lack of education, health risks of early childbearing, and increased gender-based violence. Zambian laws define the age of a child as 18 and prohibit child marriage. Parliamentarians can urge enforcement of these laws and support programs addressing the root causes of child marriage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Information Brief - Child Marriage in Zambia

    Uploaded by

    Luwizy Phiri
    30 views3 pages
    Child marriage is common in Zambia, with 31% of women marrying before age 18. It is most prevalent in rural areas, reaching 60% in some eastern regions. Poverty, vulnerability of orphans and stepchildren, and beliefs about protecting girls' sexuality contribute to child marriage. Effects include perpetuating poverty through lack of education, health risks of early childbearing, and increased gender-based violence. Zambian laws define the age of a child as 18 and prohibit child marriage. Parliamentarians can urge enforcement of these laws and support programs addressing the root causes of child marriage.

    Original Title

    Information Brief_child Marriage in Zambia

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Child marriage is common in Zambia, with 31% of women marrying before age 18. It is most prevalent in rural areas, reaching 60% in some eastern regions. Poverty, vulnerability of orphans and stepchildren, and beliefs about protecting girls' sexuality contribute to child marriage. Effects include perpetuating poverty through lack of education, health risks of early childbearing, and increased gender-based violence. Zambian laws define the age of a child as 18 and prohibit child marriage. Parliamentarians can urge enforcement of these laws and support programs addressing the root causes of child marriage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    30 views3 pages

    Information Brief - Child Marriage in Zambia

    Uploaded by

    Luwizy Phiri
    Child marriage is common in Zambia, with 31% of women marrying before age 18. It is most prevalent in rural areas, reaching 60% in some eastern regions. Poverty, vulnerability of orphans and stepchildren, and beliefs about protecting girls' sexuality contribute to child marriage. Effects include perpetuating poverty through lack of education, health risks of early childbearing, and increased gender-based violence. Zambian laws define the age of a child as 18 and prohibit child marriage. Parliamentarians can urge enforcement of these laws and support programs addressing the root causes of child marriage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Research Department

    September, 2022

    INFORMATION BRIEF: CHILD MARRIAGE IN


    ZAMBIA
    INFORMATION BRIEF areas and are as high as 60 per cent in the country’s
    Eastern Region. 3
    CHILD MARRIAGE IN ZAMBIA
    Why it happens
    Child Marriage: What it is
    1. Poverty: Some families marry off their young
    Child marriage is defined as the legal marriage or
    daughter(s) to receive a payment of dowry. This dowry
    informal union before the age of 18.1 It has globally been
    gives them great financial relief.
    identified as one of the major detriments to development
    and a major impediment to the realisation of human 2. Vulnerability: Orphans and stepchildren are
    rights. Zambia has not been spared from this: 31 per especially vulnerable. In some families, they may be
    cent of women marry before their 18th birthday. married off to reduce the financial burden. Vulnerable
    children may also feel getting married is an escape from
    Prevalence of Child Marriage in Zambia
    mistreatment.
    A study conducted by the Population Council and UNFPA,
    3. Protecting a Girl’s Sexuality: Parents may believe
    concluded that child marriage is very high in Zambia.
    that if they marry their girl child off young, will have
    Although the study indicates that the vice declined in
    sexual intercourse only with her husband, and her
    2014, it is still ranked one of the highest in the World. 2
    family’s honor will remain preserved.
    The rates of child marriage vary from rural to urban

    1
    Ministry of Gender: National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage in
    Zambia: 2016-2021
    2 3
    ibid IPU
    Effects of Child Marriage • The Adoption (Amendment) Act, No. 24 of
    1997 – Protects the rights of the adopted child to
    • Propagates poverty: once married, it is rare for girl
    consent in relation to marriage; and
    children to further themselves in education, thus
    • Education Act, No.23 of 2011- Prohibits the
    propagating a vicious cycle of intergenerational
    marrying off of a child who is a leaner.
    poverty.
    • Creates health risks: Results in early child bearing
    What can Parliamentarians do?
    thus, leading to increased number of child mortality.
    • MPs should continue to urge the Government to
    • Fuels Gender-based violence (GBV): Greater risk of
    report regularly to Parliament on the
    physical, sexual and emotional GBV.
    implementation of laws and programmes on
    Legal and Policy framework in relation to Child ending child marriage;
    Marriage in Zambia • Work closely with organisations that create “safe
    spaces” for girls to address the underlying causes
    A few examples can be cited as follows:
    of child marriage;
    • The Constitution, Chapter 1 of the Laws of • Monitor implementation of policies such as free
    Zambia - defines the age of a child as 18; education, re-entry programmes, provision of
    • The Children’s Code Act No. of 12 of 2022 effective menstrual sanitation facilities and
    provides for the reforms and consolidates the law provision of comprehensive sexuality education.
    relating to children;
    • The Marriage Act, Chapter 50 of the Laws of
    Zambia – provides for among other things, the
    rightful age for marriage;

    You might also like