Online Reporter
Emmanuel Kafe
Check Point Desk
Zimbabwe’s decision to outlaw child marriage through the Marriage Act of 2022 has been cited as a key legislative milestone in Africa’s fight against harmful practices affecting children, but a new continental report warns that laws alone will not eliminate the problem.
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) says that while several countries have strengthened legislation, weak enforcement, poverty and entrenched cultural norms continue to expose millions of girls to early marriage and other harmful practices.
In its 2025 Thematic Report on Harmful Practices Affecting Children in Africa, the committee highlights Zimbabwe’s reform as a major step towards protecting children’s rights.
“In 2022, Zimbabwe enacted a new Marriage Act that prohibits marriage for individuals under 18 in all cases, including customary marriages,” the report states.
The law effectively closed loopholes that previously allowed minors to marry under customary or religious arrangements.
However, the report cautions that legal reforms must be backed by strong implementation and social change.
“These legal reforms are encouraging examples of progress and political will. However, legal change alone is not enough. Strong enforcement, cultural shifts and sustained community engagement remain critical to eliminating harmful practices,” the report notes.
The ACERWC study paints a troubling picture of the scale of harmful practices across Africa, particularly child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
Globally, about 640 million women and girls alive today were married before the age of 18, while an estimated 12 million girls are married every year.
Africa accounts for approximately 127 million child brides, and projections suggest that by 2050 nearly half of the world’s child brides could be African if current trends continue.
The report says these practices violate fundamental rights, including the rights to education, health, dignity and protection from violence.
“Child marriage truncates childhood, forcing girls into adult roles for which they are unprepared,” the study states, noting that early unions often expose girls to gender‑based violence, school dropouts and early pregnancies.
Researchers say economic hardship and gender inequality remain major drivers of early marriage across the continent.
In many communities, families facing financial pressure marry off daughters as a coping strategy or to secure bride‑price payments. Socio‑economic inequality also plays a major role, with poorer households recording higher rates of child marriage.
Studies cited in the report show that improvements in reducing child marriage have largely been recorded among wealthier families, while the practice remains widespread among poorer households.
Education is identified as one of the strongest protective factors.
Girls who stay in school longer are less likely to be married early, yet economic shocks and school disruptions are undermining these gains.
Zimbabwe was one of ten countries selected for detailed analysis in the report, representing Southern Africa alongside Malawi. The study assessed countries based on their legal frameworks, policy responses and implementation efforts to combat harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM.
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