Malawian chief advocates education for girls over marriage
26 May 2016
Theresa Kachindamoto, a senior Malawian chief in the Dedza District, is enabling young girls to stay in school. She did this by helping to outlaw child marriages in the country.
"I don't want youthful marriages," Kachindamoto told UN Women. "They must go to school. No child should be found loitering at home or doing household chores during school time."
Malawi's Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act was passed by Parliament in February and enacted in April 2015, reported UN Women. It raises the minimum age of marriage without parental consent to 18.
She has so far broken up more than 850 marriages, according to Al Jazeera.
"If they are educated, they can be and have whatever they want," she said.
See this report from UN Women:
Mind
shift
When Kachindamoto realised she wasn't making great inroads speaking to parents when trying to convince them to keep girls in school, she decided to try a different approach.
She arranged for 50 of her sub-chiefs to sign an agreement to abolish early marriage under customary law, reported Al Jazeera. Existing marriages were also annulled in her area of authority.
Initially she faced some defiance. When she found out four male chiefs were still allowing child marriages, she fired them. After a period, they returned to say the marriages had been annulled, and she rehired them after having verified their claims.
"First of all it was difficult, but now people are understanding," Kachindamoto said.
Secret parents
If the parents cannot afford school fees, Kachindamoto said she either pays for it herself, or arranges sponsorship for the girls.
She's also established
a system of "secret mothers and secret fathers" in the villages to make sure parents are not taking girls out of school.
Kachindamoto also managed to send the county's female MPs to talk in schools. It helped to inspire the children to learn English, reported Al Jazeera, because that is the language used in parliament.
Creating a future of hope
Bernadetta Matison was 15 when she got married and pregnant. She had to drop out of school.
Now 18 with her marriage annulled, she reflected on her experience. "I've seen the evils of getting
married at a young age," she told UN Women.
"When I think about it now, I realise that getting married at such a young age isn't a good thing. At the end of the day, we still lack the things that brought us into the marriage in the first place, like soap and lotion and other basic items."
Stella Kalilombe got married at 16 and ended up with an abusive husband. Despite her suffering, she considers herself a survivor. "Which is why I decided to go back to school, to shape that future, a future of hope, peace and happiness for my family and I," she said.
The numbers
According to stats from the UN Population Fund, Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, ranking 8th out of 20 countries.
In 2012, one in every two girls was married before the age of 18 in the country, said UN Women.
For over 12 years, the organisation has worked with MPs, traditional leaders and civil
society to increase awareness, and change legislation.
Kachindamoto also continues her door-to-door campaigning to speak to as many parents as she can in the villages. "I tell them: if you educate your girls you will have everything in the future."
Source: UN Women and Al Jazeera
Theresa Kachindamoto, a senior Malawian chief, wants girls to get an education rather than a husband. (Image: Think News)
