President Hakainde Hichilema has launched the African Union Champion’s Report on Ending Child Marriage in Africa and the Spotlight Initiative African Regional Programme.
Speaking at the launch in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia today, President Hichilema, who is also the African Union Champion on Ending Child Marriage, said the launch was a call to action towards addressing the menace of child marriage.
The President said it is important for the global community to rise and protect the future of the girl children, without neglecting boys in the process.
“We need to internalise these issues and find effective measures that will make a positive impact in our lives,” he said.
President Hichilema further urged all stakeholders around the world to immediately act and find solutions to the problem of child marriage.
He noted that key causes of child marriage, such as poverty and certain traditions, must be identified and attended to, if the challenge is to be addressed effectively.
Mr Hichilema added that child marriage was a severe violation of human rights, hence the need to join hands in ending it.
He reiterated the need to enhance social protection and ameliorate livelihoods in various countries, noting that this is one way of ending child marriages.
The Head of State also called for the review of certain laws that inhibit the effective fight against child marriage.
Earlier, the representative of the European Union Delegation to the African Union, Javier Perez, pledged the EU’s commitment to work with African countries to tackle the menace of child marriage.
Mr Perez called for the promotion of gender equality, which he said is a noble and legitimate way of addressing child marriages.
He further noted that encouraging gender equality is a multilateral action.
Meanwhile, African Union Commissioner in the Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Amma Twum-Amoah, stated that the African Union Commission fully supports Zambia’s efforts and successes in addressing challenges of child marriage.
Ambassador Twum-Amoah said speeding up efforts to end child marriage is more critical now than before.
The Spotlight Initiative African Regional Programme 2.0 is a flagship, multi-year regional programme designed to accelerate progress toward ending all forms of violence against women.
