A Rural Women’s Assembly Reflection
In a powerful and moving session on child marriage, voices from across Madagascar, the SADC region, and the African continent came together to reflect, share experiences, and chart a way forward. The SAPSN 2025 Side Event Panel discussion on Day 1 highlighted the persistent challenges that fuel child marriage, while also celebrating important victories and pointing to pathways for stronger protection and support for girls. The panel featured Dina, a frontline advocate from Madagascar working on protection and survivor support; Judy Kitau, Africa Regional Coordinator with extensive experience on legal reform and child rights in Kenya; Christina Tu Manja, representing the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; and Debby Skapazo, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Plan International and member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum Technical Working Group. The conversation was guided by Sally Ndule, Regional Representative for Southern Africa with Equality Now, who moderated the session.
Dina: A Reality Check from Madagascar
Opening the session, Dina painted a vivid picture of the situation in Madagascar, one of the countries with the highest child marriage rates in the world. Despite the existence of Law 07022, which sets the legal age of marriage at 18, exceptions in the law continue to expose girls to early marriage. Dina stressed that survivors face enormous challenges — no school reintegration programmes, little or no economic support, and deep social stigma.
Yet she also shared hope: through the Universal Periodic Review process, Madagascar has accepted the recommendation to remove exceptions from its marriage law — a step described as a “great victory” for girls.
“Child marriage is not a marriage — it is a violation of human rights, a violation of children’s rights, a violation of women’s rights,” declared Dina from Madagascar, who reminded participants that while progress has been made, exceptions in the law continue to leave many girls vulnerable.
Judy Kitau: Regional Lessons and Gaps
From a regional perspective, Judy Kitau, Africa Regional Coordinator, highlighted that progress is being made but at an unacceptably slow pace — at this rate, UNICEF estimates it could take 200 years to end child marriage. She pointed to five major gaps:
- legal loopholes allowing exceptions,
- confusion between age of consent and marriage,
- failure to register marriages and births,
- lack of safety nets for girls when child marriages are annulled, and
- weak enforcement of laws.
Her message was clear: laws must be backed by strong multisectoral approaches, involving governments, traditional leaders, civil society, and development partners. She urged SADC countries to draw lessons from Kenya and across the region by adopting the SADC Model Law on Ending Child Marriage and ensuring no child is left behind.
From a regional lens, Judy Kitau warned: “At the current pace, it will take 200 years to end child marriage. We don’t have time — we must accelerate.” She called for multisectoral action, urging governments and communities to step up implementation of the SADC Model Law.
Christina Tu: The African Charter’s Promise
Marking the 35th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Christina Tu from the African Committee of Experts reminded participants that the Charter is clear — no child should be married under 18, without exceptions. She shared inspiring examples:
- In Malawi, traditional leaders annulled thousands of child marriages, backed by constitutional reforms.
- In Zimbabwe, constitutional advocacy outlawed child marriage.
- In Zambia, a national strategy worked hand-in-hand with community dialogue.
Her message underscored that while legal reforms are critical, implementation and cultural transformation are what truly protect girls.
Marking 35 years of the African Children’s Charter, Christina Tu reaffirmed its clarity: “The Charter is explicit — no child should be married under 18, without exceptions.” She showcased inspiring examples from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia where legal reforms and cultural shifts are making a difference.
Read the African Children’s Charter here
Debby Skapazo: Turning Laws into Action
Representing the SADC Parliamentary Forum Technical Working Group, Debby Skapazo unpacked the SADC Model Law on Ending Child Marriage, a framework designed to guide member states in outlawing child marriage and protecting survivors. She revealed a key gap: while many countries have adopted laws, the lack of a monitoring and evaluation framework makes it difficult to measure progress on the ground.
Debby emphasised the need to harmonise statutory and customary laws and called for stronger recognition of the role of traditional leaders in eradicating child marriage.
Calls to Action
Participants raised urgent and practical recommendations, including:
- Establishing safe spaces for girls, including within churches.
- Prosecuting men who marry children, not just sanctioning families.
- Embedding civic education on child marriage in school curricula.
- Protecting children’s rights defenders from harassment and threats.
- Removing lawmakers who perpetuate harmful practices.
A united call was also made to the African Union to appoint a new Goodwill Ambassador for Ending Child Marriage, to sustain continental momentum.
Moving Forward Together
As the session closed, the atmosphere was one of determination. Dina’s words about Madagascar’s legal reform echoed through the room as a symbol of possibility. Speakers and participants agreed: ending child marriage requires urgent action, stronger accountability, and survivor-centred support.
The message was unmistakable: “Act now, not tomorrow, to protect and support survivors of child marriage — leaving no girl behind.”
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