Government has reiterated its commitment to ending child marriage in Zambia, calling it a violation of human rights and a threat to national development.
This came during the official launch of two landmark reports by Plan International and UNICEF in Lusaka, as part of this year’s International Day of the Girl commemorations.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Doreen Mwamba, described child marriage as a national crisis that demands bold and urgent action.
“Child marriage can end, it can end, and it will end. Enough is enough. We have the laws, we have the policies, now we must act to protect our children,”she said.
Ms. Mwamba said the government has strengthened the legal framework by enforcing the Children’s Code Act and aligning national policies with international commitments to ensure that eighteen remains the minimum legal age for marriage.
She further announced that her ministry will spend the third week of October 2025, in Eastern Province to address early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancies, and other social vices affecting children.
At the same event, UNICEF Zambia Country Representative Dr. Nejmudin Bilal emphasized that while progress has been made, social norms and poverty continue to fuel the practice, particularly in rural areas.
“Protecting girls from child marriage must be our collective priority. We must work together to ensure every girl is safe, empowered, and able to thrive,” he said.
Dr. Bilal shared findings from UNICEF’s updated policy brief, which shows that one in three Zambian girls is still married before the age of eighteen, often due to cultural pressure and economic hardship.
Meanwhile, Plan International’s Regional Director Hajir Maalim presented the 2025 State of the World’s Girls Report, which highlights the lived experiences of girls who were forced into marriage at an early age.
He said that despite laws being in place, loopholes and weak enforcement continue to undermine progress.
“Every three seconds, a girl somewhere in the world is married before turning eighteen. Laws alone are not enough we must change the social beliefs and practices that drive child marriage,” he said.
And His Royal Highness Chief Chisunka of the Ushi people of Luapula Province urged the girls to posistively use social media as a tool to to increase awareness on children rights among thier peers and desist from consuming destructive content online.
Also speaking at the same event on behalf of children, a young girl activist Hellen Manda , urged leaders to act on their promises.
“We are tired of this cancer of child marriage. We need real change, not promises,” she said.
The event, attended by traditional leaders, civil society, and youth advocates, served as a renewed call for collective action to end child marriage by 2030.
