SUB-REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
A newsletter about 18+ Programme initiatives
s t h g i s In Issue 4 Nov 2014 - Feb 2015
Girls participate at a Because I Am A Girl (BIAAG) event in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe
Inside • Regional model law to end child marriage mooted • Child marriage takes centre stage at AU Summit • Zimbabwe child marriage victims challenge the law • 18+ Programme engages media in Mozambique • Capacity building for 18+ Clubs in Malawi
and much more...
18+: Ending Child Marriages in Southern Africa is RESA’s flagship programme that aims at eradicating child marriages in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The programme is part of the Global Girls Innovation Programme (GGIP) of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign. The Programme specifically aims: 1. To mobilize girls at risk of child marriage so that they have the capabilities to determine their own futures, especially choices about if, when and who they marry. 2. To transform, through social movement-building, the gender norms and practices that drive child marriage. 3. To facilitate an enabling legal and policy environment to protect girls from child marriage.
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SUB-REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Regional model law to end child marriages mooted in Southern Africa ….as Plan International’s 18+ Programme joins hands with SADC-PF to fight the vice By Regis Nyamakanga and Emmily Naphambo
The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) has joined hands with civil society organisations in a quest to develop a model law on ending rampant child marriages in southern Africa. A two-day meeting was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, recently to prepare for the development of a model law to curb the negative effects of early marriages on the lives of adolescent children in the 14-member SADC region, where millions of young girls are married annually. Members of Parliament from Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as human rights organisations and legal practitioners, attended the meeting which was organised with support from Plan International under its 18+ Programme on Ending Child Marriages in Southern Africa. SADC-PF Secretary General, Dr. Esau Chiviya, told the meeting that the ultimate vision of the proposed law was to transform it into a SADC Protocol on Adolescent Health and Child Marriage, which will be a superior legal instrument that is binding on all member states. “The Protocol would be a superior document that Heads of State and Governments would have to sign and after that Parliamentarians in each member state would ensure that the Protocol is ratified, harmonised with existing laws, domesticated and implemented. The implementation would be the reform of outdated laws on adolescent health and child marriage laws at country level for the benefit of the girl child,” Dr. Chiviya said. Plan International Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, David MacDonald, described the meeting as a “turning-point” in addressing entrenched cultural practices that deprived girls of their childhood and denied them the freedom to enjoy their rights. “Parliamentarians, as custodians of democracy and human rights, and as representatives of the voice of people, including the girl child, have a central responsibility to enact legislation, approve national budgets and to hold themselves and their governments to account in ensuring that the practice of child marriage is brought to an end,” MacDonald said. On its part, Plan International is implementing an initiative code-named 18+ Programme aimed at ending child marriages in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe which are saddled with some of the highest rates child marriages in the world, MacDonald said. “More than 50% of girls in Mozambique and 40% of girls in Zambia marry before the age of 18. The consequence of this situation is that the girls who marry are not only denied their childhood, but they are often left socially isolated with limited opportunities for education and employment,” MacDonald said. Through the 18+ Programme, Plan International hopes to increase girls’ and communities’ demand for girls’ education and to raise awareness about the negative impact of child marriages.
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SUB-REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
‘Africa should adopt a common position on ending child marriage’ By Emmily Naphambo
African governments should develop a common position on ending child marriages lest the continent becomes the region with the highest number of child brides in the world, an activist against child marriage has warned. African Union (AU) Goodwill Ambassador for the Campaign to end Child Marriage, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, said 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married by age 18 and that if the situation remained unchecked the number of child brides could double by 2050. She was addressing the AU Summit in Ethiopia last month. “Every year, about 15 million adolescent girls are married around the world, almost always forced into the arrangement by their parents. In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of girls are married by age 18: that is two in every five girls,” Gumbonzvanda said. She added that there were 41 countries world-wide with a child marriage prevalence rate of 30% or more, and that 30 of these countries are from Africa. “If we don’t act now, the number of girls married as children will double by 2050 and Africa will become the region with the highest number of child brides in the world.” Gumbonzvanda urged the AU to adopt a common position and special protocol to end child marriage. “Ending child marriage will address a range of issues of human rights of the girl child including education, health, economic empowerment, health including comprehensive, integrated and quality sexual and reproductive health information, education and services and as well abuse of culture. The AU should encourage member States to develop and implement National Action Plans to end child marriage which should include ensuring that legislation specifically outlaws child marriage, promotes empowerment of girls, ensure prosecution of perpetrators and the promotion of cultural transformation, among other measures,” she said.
Inception Report for the in-depth review of legal and regulatory frameworks on child marriages in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe By Sara Wright
An inception report has been produced by the 18+ Programme in preparation for a comprehensive legal and policy environment review for Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This in-depth review (to be finalised in March 2015) sets out the practices of early and forced child marriage in statutory, customary or religious laws and will document domestic, regional and international legislation which currently prohibits and/ or perpetuates, child marriages. It investigates its conformity with international human rights standards and summarizes prevailing environments related to child, early and forced marriage in the four countries of Plan’s Initiative, ‘18+: Ending Child Marriages in Southern Africa’. The assessment will include an analysis of the extent to which laws relating to early and forced child marriage, are applied and enforced in each country, and the extent to which they support or undermine efforts to eliminate, early and forced child marriage. The in-depth review of the legal and policy environment and the enforcement of legislation will inform the development of policy briefs of the four participating countries and will be used for advocacy purposes when fighting for the rights of the girl child and against early marriage.
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SUB-REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Putting journalists on the driving seat to end child marriages By Mamoletsane Khati
In a region where child marriage reigns supreme and is silently accepted by many as a “normal” practice, the media needs to take charge and correct misconceptions. That is exactly what journalists from four Southern Africa countries are doing after receiving training on regional communication for development organizations.
of the journalists enrolled for a PSAf media fellowship programme. Under the fellowships, the journalists are now producing in-depth features and radio programmes on child marriage. Unlike the usual tendency of tackling child marriage as any other issue, the training has empowered journalists to report on child marriages in an in-depth and effective way that will influence legal and policy reforms.
With funding from Plan International, PANOS Institute of Southern Africa (PSAf) is supporting journalists and media houses from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to develop in-depth content that would generate debate and inspire actions to end child marriages.
PSAf Executive Director Lilian Kiefer said the support to journalists has helped them to be more effective in influencing public opinion and inspiring action to end child marriages.
In recognition of the critical role that the media can play to create and raise awareness, influence behaviour change and influence policy change around issues of child marriages PSAf conducted a regional media training which brought together journalists and media trainers from the four countries. The training provided the journalists with a platform to share experiences and to strengthen their understanding of the issues, placing them in an informed position.
“The media has the ability to inform the public and to shape a person’s world view. Through the training and the fellowships, we are empowering the media to provide a more in-depth and well investigated analysis of issues, to show different perspectives and contribute to public awareness. This therefore means that a well-informed citizenry will participate in issues of development. The public can even be aware of the services they were not aware of and thus assert their rights,” said Ms. Kiefer.
“The training provided us with skills to help angle and package stories to bring out the different factors surrounding child marriages. After the training, I can now report in a way that brings out the issues at the same time encouraging policy reforms,” said Karen Msiska, a participant from Malawi. “I am now able to report on child marriage as a human right violation whereas previously, I thought it was normal to get married at a tender age,” she added.
Following the training and the support they are receiving through media fellowships, there has been a marked increase in the coverage of child marriages in the four countries. There has been stimulated journalistic and professional interest, which has induced debates and discussions around the social, cultural and legal drivers of child marriages. The discussions have raised awareness and challenged attitudes and cultural practices that fuel child marriages.
Building on the foundation laid during the training, some
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SUB-REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Traditional leaders meet to end child marriages in Southern Africa By Regis Nyamakanga
More than 20 traditional leaders from Southern Africa will convene in Zambia next month to map ways of addressing the issue of child marriage in the region. The meeting, which is organized by Women for Change (WfC) in partnership with Plan International’s 18+ Programme and Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), will run from 11 to 13 March 2015 in Lusaka. The idea of the meeting, which will draw traditional leaders from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, is to explore ways to reduce child marriages in the four countries as well as to exchange ideas and experiences on customary laws on child marriages. Chairman of 18+ Programme, Sammy Musyoki, said the meeting would also identify customs and beliefs that promote child marriages and examine the impact of child marriages on the girl child. “We hope that the meeting will recommend resolutions on how traditional leaders will address child marriages in their chiefdoms,” Musyoki said. The 18+ Programme is part of Plan International’s ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign, which seeks to promote girls’ education and stem incidents of child marriages.
Update on the continental campaign to end child marriages in Africa. By: Eden Matiyas
The continental launch of the campaign on ‘Ending Child Marriage in Africa’, an initiative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission was launched on the 29th May 2014 at the 4th session of the Africa Union Conference of Ministers of Social Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As part of the coordinating committee for the campaign, Plan International’s Pan African Office has been supporting the campaign both at AU level and country level. Besides the appointed AU Goodwill Ambassador on child marriages Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the child (ACERWC), at its first extra Ordinary Session on 10th October 2014, unanimously appointed Dr.Fatima Dellaidi-sebaa as the special Rapporteur on Child Marriage. For more information: http://www.worldywca.org/YWCA-News/World-YWCA-and-Member-AssociationsNews/World-YWCA-General-Secretary-Named-Goodwill-Ambassador-of-the-AU-Campaign-to-End-ChildMarriage-in- Africa http://sa.au.int/en/content/appointment-special-rapporteur-child-marriage
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COUNTRY LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
Zimbabwe child marriage victims challenge the law By Evelene Taadira
Zimbabwe witnessed a ground breaking constitutional case on January 14 2015, when two young girls, both victims of child marriage challenged the Customary Marriages Act which allows 16-year-old girls to get married.
In their initial defence, the respondents claimed the applicants had no capacity to bring their matter to the ConCourt by virtue of not being under 18 at the time of the application and that they had no evidence of any personal injury induced by being married.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) one in every three girls in Zimbabwe is married before the age of 18 - a situation that has meant many women being deprived of their right to an education and other consequential factors.
Counsel was able to counter this submission by indicating that child marriage takes away all provisions of child protection under the law and that the applicants in public interest and justice, as well as best interest of the child had to represent scores of girls across Zimbabwe. He further challenged the Constitutional Court not to be innocent bystanders on the constitutionality of all laws that protect the rights of the child. The Constitutional court however, reserved the judgement on the issue.
The two, Loveness Mudzuru (19) and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi (18) filed a lawsuit in November 2014, seeking to ensure the protection of children’s rights on early marriage. They wanted Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court to declare in accordance with the Constitution, that no one can be contracted into marriage before they reach the age of 18 years, which would thereby bar children from entering unregistered customary law unions.
In an interview later, Plan Zimbabwe’s Gender Advisor, Tinotenda Hondo welcomed initiatives towards a speedy realignment of laws to the constitution.
In their argument, Loveness and Ruvimbo stated that Section 18 of the Marriage Act, which allows marriage before 18, must be declared unconstitutional as it does not provide for a minimum age of 18 for customary marriages.
“As part of the “18+: Ending Child Marriage” campaign, Plan Zimbabwe has actively participated in lobbying for legal reform in relation to the age of marriage. We appreciate Government’s current efforts to realign all relevant laws with the provisions of the new constitution. However, our concern is that if the process takes too long many girls will continue to be robbed of their childhood and right to education,” she said.
As an ardent campaigner and advocate on ending child marriages in Zimbabwe, Plan Zimbabwe was represented at the court hearing. Tendai Biti, the lead counsel on behalf of the applicants gave a spirited and well-argued submission.
Plan Mozambique hosts media forum to raise awareness about child marriages By Eunice Themba
The voices of girls and women are seldom heard in the media. The issues that affect their daily lives are not given much attention. To tackle this and to raise awareness about the negative aspects of child marriage, Plan Mozambique arranged a forum in Inhambane Province and invited media representatives to reflect on how the media portrays girls and women and to discuss their role in empowering this often marginalized group.
Recommendations from the forum included: increasing the participation of girls and women in the programming of community radio and in media in general and, for media to actively involve women and girls in planning and evaluation of their work. “Editors and male colleagues will support this process by developing a broader understanding of the conditions that lead to racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying against girls and women. The representatives present in this forum have vowed to create initiatives to combat these attitudes and behaviors through the media”, said Fulgêncio Augusto from The Institute for Social Communication (ISC)
The forum brought together journalists, editors and government representatives to discuss various topics regarding girls’ rights. Topics discussed included: The right to access information, challenging negative cultural practices, community radio as a platform for social change and, impacting the lives of women and girls.
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COUNTRY LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
Zambia’s Central Programme Unit
Capacity building training for 18 +
(PU) conducts Community Dialogues
clubs in Malawi
to end Child Marriages
By Rejoice Phiri
By Dongo Yezi
Plan International recently held a capacity building training for the 18+ Clubs in Kasungu, Malawi.
The Central PU in Zambia organised a ‘Community Dialogue’ that took place in the districts of Chikobo and Lombwa. Under the 18+ project dubbed ‘No I Don’t’, the community was mobilized to discuss the extent of child marriage and asked to contribute to ways in which they believed the trend could be averted. We were pleased that 107 community members, among them 78 girls between the ages 10 – 14 years attended.
The training, which was facilitated by Child Protection Officers Tendai Munemo and Allan Mhlanzi, was meant to draw a link between the 18+ initiative and the ‘Because I am a Girl’ (BIAAG) campaign, which both seek to end early marriages and promote girls’ education. Seven Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) participated in the training. Each school brought 10 participants, made up of nine girls randomly selected from form 1 to form 4 and one patron or matron. The participants discussed how they would operate their clubs in their respective secondary schools and the various activities they planned on undertaking including; dramas to educate fellow students, parents and communities on the importance of investing in girl education and the prevention of early marriages. Role modelling to encourage girls to work hard in school was also discussed. It was noted that poverty, peer pressure and cultural beliefs were among some of the main causes of early marriages in Malawi. Participants proposed that the Malawian Constitutions should outlaw any marriage below the age of 18. The girls also learnt about the importance of planning for their future goals, which include empowerment and evaluation of progress.
During the dialogue, it was interesting to note how the girls were able to articulate children’s rights and identify the key reasons leading to girls dropping out of school. Their list of reasons included child marriage, teenage pregnancies and lack of financial support from their parents. The girls were also aware of the need to report cases of child marriages and child abuse and where to get help. They suggested that parents, relatives, staff at their schools, church leaders and traditional leaders, alongside the Police and Plan officers were the ones to turn to in cases of Early Child Marriage.
Plan International Malawi will organize more meetings aimed at supporting the clubs and help monitor their progress.
Traditional leaders and parents were also among the attendees of this dialogue, during which the Chikobo and Lombwa communities, demonstrated their knowledge of the lawful age for girls to get married. These differed - the Chikobo community stated 18 years quoting the CRC, whilst the Lombwa parents indicated that it was 21 years and quoted the Zambian Marriage Act. The meetings provided a forum to correct myths and misconceptions surrounding child marriages and as they involved key community stakeholders, it was possible to draw up of meaningful actions to be undertaken by parents, churches, children and traditional leaders to change the thinking on child marriage.
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COUNTRY LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
Plan staff and partners receive training on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights By Valodia Nhamaango
Plan International Mozambique, in partnership with international NGO CHOICE, recently conducted trainings for staff and partners on sexual and reproductive health rights as part of the 18+ project to end child marriages. The training which took place in Inhambane, drew participants from the Provincial Government Directorates of Health; Youth and Sports. Youth participation, sexual and reproductive health and, human rights featured prominently in the discussions. The participants agreed on the need to involve children and young people in the design of community programmes and policies to tackle the challenges of participation. They committed themselves to promote knowledge about sexual and reproductive health rights among the youth to help reduce cases of child marriages in the region. Thirteen school club facilitators also participated in a separate training which specifically focused on the issue of child marriages. Although the group demonstrated good knowledge about sexual rights and where to seek health care, , they said that the sexual education provided in schools was weak. This was mainly because sexuality was not discussed at family level due to cultural barriers. At the end of the training, the group applauded Plan International Mozambique for enlightening them on the situation of girls and women. They committed to continue working with the school clubs to adopt strategies for prevention of early pregnancies and child marriages.
The ‘Pinkification’ continues in the cities of Maxixe and Inhambane in Mozambique By Lionel Lucas
By ‘pinkifying’ the city of Maxixe and Inhambane with the message of its BIAAG programme 18+: Quero decider o meu futuro: Diga não aos casamentos prematuros. Plan Mozambique wants to raise awareness among the population as well as the decision makers on the need to adopt legislation that is favorable for girls’ education and to prevent early marriages. The launch of the ‘pinkification’ took place on 11 October 2014, in the cities of Maputo and Maxixe and has since spread to Inhambane, Maxixe and the districts of Jangamo and Homoine. In total 10 murals have been painted in strategic spots so that as many people as possible will see them. The expected outcome is that the message of ending child marriages will be on everyone’s mind. Since the beginning of this campaign nine billboards were put on strategic spots around the cities of Maputo and Maxixe with the message to end child marriage. In addition, three digital billboards in Maputo are showing a 10 second clip every five minutes and 10 local buses run in Maputo city with information about the campaign. The ‘pinkification’ of the billboards and buses will continue until the 12th of June 2015. Two Plan cars have been also ‘pinkified’ with the message to end child marriage. The main message for the ‘pinkification’ is - “I want to decide my own future: Say no to child marriage”.
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COUNTRY LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
Malawi bans child marriage, lifts minimum age to 18 Alice Chapuma
Malawi has passed a law banning child marriage, raising the minimum age to 18 in a country where half of girls end up as child brides.
“We cannot talk about development if we have child marriage. Women’s empowerment is a crucial player in development and women cannot be empowered if they are not educated.”
Women rights campaigners hailed the move as “a great day for Malawian girls” and said the law would help boost development in one of the world’s poorest countries.
She said parliament had voted unanimously last Thursday for the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill which the president is due to sign into law within three weeks.
But they warned Malawi would not end child marriage without concerted efforts to tackle poverty and end harmful traditional practices like early sexual initiations.
Child marriage is deeply entrenched in Malawi’s society partly because of a belief that a girl should marry as early as possible to maximise her fertility.
“This law is extremely crucial because child marriage is a big, big problem in our country,” said parliamentarian Jessie Kabwila who helped push for the new legislation.
Girls are currently allowed to marry at 16, or 15 with parental consent. But many marry much younger.
“The country will for the first time clearly articulate that we are saying ‘No’ to child marriage.”
Brussels Mughogho, Malawi country director of development charity EveryChild, said poverty pushed some families to marry off young daughters in exchange for a dowry payment or so that they had one less mouth to feed. Mughogho said it was also vital to work with traditional leaders to end early sexual initiations which fuel child marriage.
Malawi has one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage. Half of girls wed before their 18th birthday and nearly one in eight is married by 15. Early marriage not only deprives girls of education and opportunities, but also increases the risk of death or serious childbirth injuries if they have babies before their bodies are ready. Child brides are also at greater risk of domestic and sexual violence.
In parts of Malawi, when a girl reaches puberty she may receive a night-time visit from an older man - known as ‘a hyena’ - who has sex with girls to prepare them for marriage. “There are so many driving factors behind child marriage,” Mughogho said. “This is a very important step that we’ve taken, but child marriage will never end with legal instruments alone.”
“This law is very important because of the number of girls who drop out of school because they are going to get married, and because of the high numbers of girls who are dying when they are giving birth,” Kabwila told Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.
Announcement: 18+ Newsletter is calling for contributors
By public demand, the 18+ newsletter will begin to feature stories that relate to child marriage research and programming in countries other than those under the programme. This comes as a recommendation by the 18+ Steering committee as a strategic way of encouraging knowledge management and sharing in the organization and beyond. For more details please contact Ms Emmily Naphambo, the 18+ Programme Manager Email: Emmily.Kamwendo-Naphambo@plan-international.org
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Lilongwe Programme Area (PA) organises 18+ campaign open day at Traditional Authority Njewa By Alice Chapuma
Plan International Malawi has called for firm action by authorities in protecting children to help them attain education and secure a future. Assistant Programme Area manager for Lilongwe made the remarks at Njewa Primary School in Lilongwe during the 18+ Campaign open day held on 24 October 2014. He made a direct appeal to the legislature, the labour office, traditional authorities and the social welfare department, all of whom were represented at the event, to come up with laws and policies that can help protect children especially girls from child labour, access to alcohol and other activities that disrupt learners from concentrating on their studies. “Some parents demand their children to do household chores that are beyond their age. Children are consuming alcohol and are being exposed to inappropriate films shown at video centres even during class hours! This must stop and there is need for us to unite to protect our children,” appealed the Assistant Programme Area Manager. District Labour Officer for Lilongwe Ms Chiletso Mbewe highlighted the implications of children dropping out of school. She said: “When children drop out of school, they get employed and get involved in work that is beyond their ages.” “As a labour office, we will go around to check if companies in this area are employing children. We will take legal action against any company found employing under-aged children,” warned the District Labour Officer. In the 20 years of its existence in the country, Plan International Inc Malawi has been involved in campaigns which have rescued hundreds of children from different forms of child rights violation such as employment in tobacco estates and farms and early marriages.
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SUB-REGIONAL PHOTO GALLERYENGAGEMENT - SADC Parliamentary Forum dialogue on ending child marriage
Participants at the meeting pose for a photo
SADC-PF Programmes Director, Ms.Boemo Sekgoma, making a point during the meeting
RESA Deputy Regional Director-Programs David MacDonald
Former Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, Hon. Dr. Magaret Nasha,
(Right) and Chikezie Anyanwu Pan African Program Specialist
addressing the meeting, while delegates follow the proceedings.
Delegates follow proceedings
Nyasha Chingore-Munazvo, a lawyer from Zimbabwe, explains what a model law is
Contacts: Roland.Angerer@plan-international.org Regional Director: Roland Angerer - E-mail: Sub-Regional Programme Manager - Emmily Kamwendo-Naphambo. E-mail: Emmily.Kamwendo-Naphambo@plan-international.org Editorial Team: Regis Nyamakanga - Editor , Samuel Musyoki - 18+ Steering commitee chairman Contributors: Alice Chapuma, Dongo Yezi, Eden Matiyas, Emmily Kamwendo, Eunice Themba, Evelene Taadira, Lionel Lucas, Mamoletsane Khati, Regis Nyamakanga, Rejoice Phiri, Sara Wright, Valodia Nhamaango Design and Layout Caroline Nyamamu
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