Mozambique launches plan to end child marriage and get girls in school
Girls' education
Albertina Ricardo, 17, with her child in Inhambane, Mozambique 鈥 she dropped out of school and got married at 15
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Mozambique, which has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, unveiled a national plan yesterday to end the practice which affects nearly half of the country鈥檚 girls.
鈥(This is) a cause for celebration and should inspire our听African neighbours to do the same,鈥 said Albino Francisco,听cordinator of which helped the听government draw up the strategy.
Although there has been a slight fall in the rate of child听marriage in Mozambique, campaigners say population growth means听the number of child brides has increased.
Mozambique has the world鈥檚 tenth highest rate of child听marriage 鈥 with 48% of girls wed by their 18th birthday听and 14% before they turn 15, according to the United Nations children鈥檚听fund .
The national strategy outlines eight pillars key to ending听child marriage including an awareness drive, improving girls鈥櫶齛ccess to education, sexual and reproductive health services,听sex education and legal reforms, according to Girls Not Brides.
Students happy to be at school in the city of Beira听
Early marriage not only deprives girls of education and听opportunities but increases the risk of death or serious听childbirth injuries if they have babies before their bodies are听ready.
Child brides are often disempowered and at greater risk of听domestic and sexual violence and HIV, experts say. Mozambican news site Noticias, which reported the launch,听described child marriage as 鈥渁 social evil鈥.
The reasons behind child marriage vary across the country听but the common factors are poverty and lack of education.
In some areas, campaigners say girls as young as nine go听through initiation rites where they learn how to please a man in听bed and perform domestic duties as part of preparations for marriage.
Worldwide, 15 million girls are married off as children听every year.
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