Sidumisile Mabena
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
A CALL has been made in Parliament for the introduction of life imprisonment for individuals who engage in or facilitate child marriages, as lawmakers intensify debate over the alarming rise in early marriages and teenage pregnancies, which continue to rob children of their rights, education and future opportunities.
Speaking during a debate on a motion raised by Senator Maggie Chakabuda on Wednesday, Sen Jane Chitsamba described child marriages as serious human rights violations that deprive children of their education, health and future.
“I call for strict penalties, including life imprisonment for perpetrators above the legal age of maturity who engage in or facilitate such acts,” she said.
Sen Chitsamba said the Government must fully enforce existing legislation, including the Children’s Act and the Marriages Act, to curb the practice and protect minors from exploitation.
She called for robust and comprehensive sex education, counselling and support services for girls and young women to prevent teenage pregnancies, and urged community leaders, parents and guardians to promote awareness and challenge harmful cultural practices that perpetuate child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“Finally, we must resolve to allocate resources for initiatives addressing poverty, education, and economic empowerment to reduce the vulnerabilities that lead to these social ills,” said Sen Chitsamba.
Sen Teresa Kabondo highlighted the physical and psychological risks associated with early pregnancies, noting that young girls are often not ready for motherhood.
“These young girls are exposed to serious health complications and are robbed of the opportunity to grow and plan for their future,” she said, adding that it saddens her to see young girls being robbed of invaluable opportunities by greedy and self-centred adults.
Sen Kabondo said childhood is a critical period when a girl’s body fully develops — a time for self-discovery, exploration and understanding — and when they begin to plan for their future.
“Unfortunately, this opportunity is often taken away from them. Due to their under-developed bodies, these young girls are exposed to complications during childbirth and are at higher risk of diseases when they marry older men.
Additionally, this situation has psychological effects as they are introduced to experiences that are not appropriate for their age group. Consequently, our nation is deprived of future professionals, and their prospects for a successful future are severely compromised,” said Sen Kabondo.
Contributing to the debate, Sen Lwazi Sibanda raised concern over gender inequalities, questioning why early marriages predominantly affect the girl child only.
She said, according to the Constitution, children have the right to protection and safety. Sen Sibanda said a child will always remain a child regardless of any illegal actions taken to marry them off.
“For instance, we enrol children in school at a tender age, where they are placed in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and progress through various stages of education. These young children can often be challenging in school and teachers frequently spend the entire day attending to them due to their age. They are expected to advance to the next stage of education despite their youth,” said Sen Sibanda.
Online Reporter