FRIDAY September, 2020 Zambia has cautioned that the social and economic hardships caused by the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) may force parents and guardians in many economically distressed countries to marry off their girls as a response and coping strategy to the pandemic.
His Excellency, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia has called for the rejuvenation of global efforts among world leaders to develop measures that would eliminate harmful practices such as early child and forced marriage by 2030.
President Lungu has told United Nations (UN) that the Covid-19 had the potential to increase the rates of child marriage in many countries in the world even as the world continues to fight the pandemic.President Lungu said this during a High Level Event on the Margins of the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 75) on Child Early and Forced Marriage and the Covid-19 Pandemic side event.
The President delivered his virtual message in a statement read on his behalf by Minister of Gender, Honourable Elizabeth Phiri. Zambia and Canada are the co-hosts of the annual side event on Child Early and Forced Marriage.
The Head of State said child marriage had continued to deny girls their basic fundamental rights and chances to be children and be able to choose when and whom to marry, including living a life free of violence and sexual abuse.
He stated that Child Early and Forced Marriage largely interrupted the girl child their right to school as well as robbing them of the opportunity to advance their careers and vocational training.
He said the vice of Child Early and Forced Marriage ultimately denied the girl child of the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the development of their communities and society as a whole.
“Child marriage has detrimental effects on the mental and physical wellbeing of girls. My government therefore, continues to implement programmes aimed at increasing girls’ access to education.
The government of Zambia has continued to make tremendous strides in our campaign towards ending child marriage.
With support from partners on ending child marriage, my country Zambia, came up with a strategy and developed the national plan of action in December 2017 aimed at accelerating national efforts to end child marriage by 2030,” President Lungu said.
President Lungu said in order to maintain the gains made so far in the fight against early, forced and child marriage, the government had scaled up interventions to ensure continuous education in order to avert the risk of child marriage especially among girls.
He told Member States that Government with support from its partners was providing children with school lessons through online platforms, television channels and radio programs in order to address the disruptions of the education system created by the Covid-19 pandemic. - ,
President Lungu has reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders, as the world aspires towards the elimination of all harmful practices, including ending early and forced marriage by 2030.
“Let us labour tirelessly, and save the millions of girls, who are destined to marry before their 18th birthday by the year 2030, if we do not accelerate our efforts on ending this vice,” President Lungu said.
For details contact
WALLEN SIMWAKA (Mr.)
First Secretary (Press)
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations
www.zambiaun.com Tel: +16466756604, Email: wsimwaka@zambiamissionun.com