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The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has welcomed President Hakainde Hichilema’s renewed call for decisive continental action to end child marriage across Africa.
President Hichilema, who serves as the African Union (AU) Champion on Ending Child Marriage, issued the call on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa.
In a statement on Monday, NGOCC Board Chairperson, Beauty Katebe, noted that Zambia—like many countries in the region—continued to grapple with the issue of child marriage, a practice that denied young girls their future opportunities.
Katebe highlighted that although Zambia’s child marriage prevalence dropped from 29 percent in 2018 to 23.9 percent in 2024, the progress remained insufficient.
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“Against this backdrop, President Hichilema’s renewed call to action is both timely and vital,” she said.
She added that the President’s position builds on progress made through the Marriage Act No. 13 of 2023, which outlawed child marriage in both statutory and customary settings.
Katebe stressed that child marriage remained a pressing human rights issue with profound social, health, and economic consequences.
She urged the government to demonstrate greater commitment by increasing funding dedicated to tackling the problem.
“In line with this effort, the 2027 National Budget should prioritize allocations to areas heavily affected by child marriage to support social behavioural change programmes, improve reporting mechanisms, fund remedial interventions, and strengthen national protection systems,” Katebe said.
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