The Government of Malawi has announced a significant step forward in their efforts to end child, early and forced marriages and unions in Malawi. On 21 November 2023, President Chakwera announced his commitment to “build adequate capacity through forward-looking strategies that are harmonised with international policy frameworks”. President Chakwera has committed to work with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Gender to review laws that are not aligned with the minimum age of marriage and ensure that SADC Model Law is fully considered in the development of the National Strategy to End child marriage. This commitment follows a roundtable discussion hosted by the Girls Not Brides Secretariat, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, Girls Opportunity Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The roundtable discussion, brought together , human rights lawyer Amal Clooney; former First Lady of the United States and Founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, Michelle Obama; global philanthropist Melinda French Gates; representatives of Girls Not Brides Malawi, and a high court judge and a representative from the Women’s Lawyers’ Association to address the pressing issue of child marriage in Malawi. During the productive and insightful deliberations, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney presented a series of advocacy asks, co-created with Girls Not Brides Secretariat and Girls Not Brides Malawi, designed to guide national action to end child marriage.
In a later meeting with the President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, Ms. Clooney echoed civil society calls to end child marriage leading to President Chakwera’s announcement that his Government will harmonise domestic laws with the standards laid down in the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage, as well as review the national budget and allocate adequate resources for the implementation of Malawi’s National Strategy for Ending Child Marriage.
This event underscores an unwavering commitment to ending child marriage and fostering a brighter future for Malawi's girls and young women. It is a testament to the power of collaboration and advocacy of civil society, who continue to play a vital role in the movement to end child marriage.
About Girls Not Brides Malawi: Girls Not Brides Malawi is made up of over 90 civil society organisations working to end child marriage in Malawi. Created in 2012, the coalition became an official Girls Not Brides National Partnership in November 2017.