Lilongwe, June 26, 2015: Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati has said her ministry will commemorate Day of the African Child on June 30 this year.
Addressing members of the press in Lilongwe, Kaliati said the day provides an opportunity to Government, communities, families and the international community in renewing their commitments on the need to address the challenges of children in Africa.
She said that a number of abuse cases such as sexual, physical, forced marriages, child trafficking and abandonments are the reason for this year’s theme “accelerating our collective efforts to end child marriage in Malawi.”
“As a member of the global village, Malawi signed and ratified a number of regional and international legal instruments which promote the rights of the child such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).” She said.
Kaliati also added that Malawi has domesticated the two laws against child marriage to ensure that children are protected from early marriages, protect children from abuse, provide child friendly, quality, free and compulsory education for all children in the country.
“The general public, development partners and all stakeholders are being invited to the commemoration event in Chikwawa and in all the other districts.” She said.
Day of African Child is commemorated on 16th June every year and this year’s event will be held at Ngabu Community Ground in Chikwawa district where the National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children will be launched on the same day.
