http://allafrica.com/stories/201306160012.html

[15 June 2013] - 

Malawi is likely to settle for the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) marriage age of 18 following consultations the Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare embarked on to incorporate stakeholder's views to determine the right minimum matrimonial age after parliament had settled for 16.

In 2009 the country's parliament amended Clause 9 in the Constitution (Amendment) Bill revising the marriage age from 15 to 16 with over two thirds majority support of legislators.

Principal Secretary in the ministry of Gender and Child Welfare, Dr Mary Shawa said since the country already ratified the Convention on the Child Rights, the country will go by its definition of marriage age.

"Since we ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that defines marriage age as 18 we would live to implement the same.

"Currently, we are lobbying with other stakeholders so that they embrace the same," said Shawa at the end of a two day workshop for chiefs and children in Liwonde of Friday in readiness for the Day of an African Child with this year will be commemorated on Sunday June 16.

She said the bill which became a centre of discussion in 2009 only needs to change the age and thereafter may be adopted after passing through all the legal processes that are required.

On the interaction with chiefs and children Shawa said it is such kind of discussions that bring out people's views worthy consideration in the ministry's Child Care Protection Action Plan which the ministry has developed and is currently implementing.

She noted that it was important for chiefs and other custodians of culture to carefully consider young people's views so that they make the right choices on what messages to incarnate into children without exposing them to human rights abuses and other freedom violations.

In her remarks Traditional Authority Chitera of Chiradzulu attested to Shawa's observations noting that at the age of 16 most girls are not mostly ready for challenges that come with marriage.

She said as traditional leaders they are ready to look into children's concerns that come with early marriages and other violations. The ministry organized the workshop in corroboration with World Vision Malawi.

Malawi appended its signature to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

• Visit CRIN's page on Malawi
• Further information about early child marriages
• 'Violating Children's Rights: Harmful practices based on tradition, culture, religion or superstition' (21 October 2012)

Previous News release items

• 14/06/2013: First draft of outcome document from High-level Meeting on Disability and Development released ahead of negotiations
• 14/06/2013: Day of African Child 2013: UN expert welcomes decision to devote theme to eliminating traditional harmful practices
• 14/06/2013: АРМЕНИЯ: Здоровых детей заставляют учиться в спецшколе
• 13/06/2013: ARMED CONFLICT: Annual UN report on children and armed conflict shows thousands of children killed in Syria
• 13/06/2013: UK: MPs urge more action on female genital mutilation

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Last updated 17/06/2013 14:01:29

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