Malawi Launches National Strategy to End Child Marriage

The Government of Malawi has launched its National Strategy to End Child Marriage, marking a significant commitment to safeguarding the futures of girls and young women. The strategy was unveiled on 18 October 2024 in Lilongwe, Malawi, by the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The new strategy aims to reduce child marriage rates to 20%, focusing on initiatives that keep girls in school, transform harmful social norms, and strengthen legal protections against child marriage.

About child marriage in Malawi

Malawi has one of the highest child marriage rates globally, with 38% of girls married before the age of 18. Child marriage is a violation of human rights, with negative impacts on girls, including interrupted education and heightened risks of poverty, violence, and health complications.

The role of civil society in ending child marriage in Malawi

Civil society is vital in driving change and engaging families, communities, and leaders in shifting harmful social norms. Girls Not Brides Malawi, the National Partnership of civil society organisations working together to end child marriage in Malawi, remain committed to working with the Government of Malawi to ensure effective implementation of the National Strategy to End Child Marriage.

Girls Not Brides Malawi are proud to have worked alongside the government and other stakeholders to make the new National Strategy to End Child Marriage a reality. They recently showcased their efforts to combat child, early, and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) in a meeting with the Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Work, and continue to urge the Minister to secure funding for the Ending Child Marriage (ECM) strategy, emphasising the need for financial backing to ensure effective implementation. Martha Moyo, a member of Girls Not Brides Malawi, represented the National Partnership at the strategy launch event.

What next?

National strategies are an important step in ending child marriage. However, they are only as effective as the resources allocated to their implementation. Adequate financial resources must be allocated and committed to implementation and robust monitoring and evaluation systems are required to track progress.

As next steps after the launch of the ECM strategy, members of Girls Not Brides Malawi National Partnership are calling upon the relevant stakeholders to play their role in the realisation of the ECM strategy the goals and vision.

Government:

• Establish an implementation committee to oversee strategy execution.
• Allocate budget and resources for strategy implementation.
• Develop actionable plans for each ministry/department.
• Strengthen laws and policies to prevent child marriage.
• Enhance coordination among government agencies.

Stakeholders (Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, Faith-Based Organisations):

• Provide technical assistance to the government.
• Mobilize communities to support strategy implementation.
• Conduct advocacy and awareness campaigns.
• Offer training and capacity-building programs.
• Monitor and evaluate strategy progress.

Community-Level:

• Establish community-based child marriage prevention committees.
• Engage traditional leaders and influencers.
• Conduct community sensitization and awareness programs.
• Provide economic empowerment programs for girls.
• Strengthen child protection systems.

Development Partners:

• Provide financial and technical support.
• Align existing programs with the national strategy.
• Support capacity-building initiatives.
• Foster international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
• Monitor and evaluate strategy effectiveness.

Media and Communication:

• Develop a national communication strategy.
• Conduct media campaigns to raise awareness.
• Engage influencers and ambassadors.
• Create community-level communication channels.
• Monitor and address harmful media narratives.