Early Marriages Scourge Gets By-laws in Petauke

The scourge of early marriages in Petauke and Chadiza districts has come under the microscope with Plan International in conjunction with traditional leaders launching by-laws aimed at ending child marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Gender Minister Elizabeth Phiri graced the occasion on behalf of President Edgar Lungu in Chadiza and Petauke.

Phiri said the chiefdom by-laws would greatly help traditional leaders in their chiefdoms.

“In most villages there are no police officers so whenever there is a case people report to traditional leaders so they will be able to refer to the by-laws whenever they are handling matters of child marriages and teenage pregnancies,” she said.

Phiri said traditional leaders would also be able to met out punishment to offenders based on what is prescribed in the chiefdom by-laws.

Plan Zambia interim country director Mulumbi who was represented by

Lazarous Mwale said her organization was optimistic that the by-laws would be respected and would be enforced in the chiefdoms.

Plan Zambia Eastern region programme manager Richard Kalyata said from the time Plan started working in Chadiza in 1999 the district has had high prevalence of child marriages and teenage pregnancies as well as other child protection issues.

“Because of the above challenges as Plan we thought that as much as we have trained the communities, we have conducted sensitization meetings but there is no change so we though probably going the by-law way will help us to curtail some of the practices that are prevailing,” Kalyata

Boarding and Petauke chiefs attended the launch at Nyamphande Boarding

School.

News source: Zambia Reports

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