Malawi Congress Party (MCP)’s  Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu South East, constituency Khumbize Kandondo has taken the just assented  and gazetted  Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act to her constituency in a bid to instill and popularise it to the masses.

This comes barely some days after President Peter Munthalika assented the bill into law as it was gazetted on April 17, 2015, just waiting the Minister of Gender to set the date of operation for the full execution of the law.

 

MP Khumbize Kandondo has immerged as the first legislator to take the law to the rural masses in an effort to awaken them on marriage age which is now 18 years from 16 aimed at preventing parents marrying their daughters before the age marriage which contravenes girl child education in the country.

Speaking in an interviews after meeting with Chilowamatambe Area Development Committee (ADC) on Saturday, Kandondo expressed gratitude for the assenting of the bill into law saying girl education would be enhanced and promoted as the current age marriage is a prime factor to contain early marriages which was rampant across the nation.

“Now that we have the law in place, its our task to take the law to the public as to make them understand it especially on age marriage which is the prime factor to contain early marriages for girl education promotion.

“The communities have to be told emphatically on this Act for better understanding as it’s a complex law which needs much effort to popularise it. Therefore, its every legislator, CSOs, media to take the law to the masses for familiarization”, urges Kandondo.

In his remarks, Traditional Authority (TA) Chilowamatambe of the constituency said the law has come at the right time to restrain early marriages which has contributed to high rates of dropouts among girls in his area.

“This is a welcome development to contain the spate of early marriages which has affected girls education. Together with the ADC, we will intensify sensitization campaigns on the Act that parents should be aware about the evil of marrying the girl child before age marriage that doing so was tantamount to punishment”, assures TA Chilowamatambe.

Meanwhile, United Nation Population Fund ( UNFPA), European Union (EU) offices in Malawi and Minister of Gender are expected to bankroll media campaigns on the Act across the nation which will run for three months.