UK Secretary of State speaks on ending child marriages in Zambia
UK Secretary of State, Justine Greening, spoke at the symposium to end child marriages in Lusaka. She said:
Thank you for that introduction and for inviting me to speak. I바카라 사이트™m truly honoured and humbled to be with you today at the launch of this important regional symposium on ending child marriage.
I would like to acknowledge the presence and leadership of the First Lady Dr Kaseba, Madame Graca Machel, Ministers Luo and Wina, other ministers present and the leaders of international and local organisations with us tonight.
In particular I would like to recognise the many Chiefs and Chieftanesses present and commend your vital leadership on this issue at the grassroots.
I am told that in Zambia I can now say 바카라 사이트śall protocols observed바카라 사이트ť and I will not offend anyone!
I바카라 사이트™m delighted to be here in Zambia for your 50th anniversary year. Since independence, the UK and Zambia have remained firm friends and we continue to be a proud supporter of your development.
In recent years Zambia is a country that has enjoyed impressive economic growth. 1.2 million more children are now in school. Child mortality has fallen by over 40%. And I commend the Zambian 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트™s substantial commitment to scaling up social protection to those living in extreme poverty.
I believe Zambia바카라 사이트™s economic and social development has been underpinned by its political development. Today Zambia is known across Africa as a model of democracy. Zambian people are not only voting in free and fair elections, they have a genuine say in the running of their country.
At the same time we know there are still real development challenges for Zambia to overcome. Zambia is growing fast but it is becoming more unequal. The top 10% of Zambians control over half of national income바카라 사이트¦the bottom 60% share less than 14%. Too many people, especially girls and women, are locked out of the new opportunities that are being created.
For Zambia to move beyond poverty and aid economic growth has to be faster and sustainable growth that creates jobs for everyone바카라 사이트¦which I know is a huge priority for the Zambian 바카라 사이트 which we recognise here in Britain.
We recognise that Zambia바카라 사이트™s growth is in Britain바카라 사이트™s interests as well as yours. And the British High Commission here is working closely with the Zambian government to improve our two countries바카라 사이트™ business links and promote trade.
Later in the year Britain will be sending two trade missions to Zambia. We are going for growth with you바카라 사이트¦and I firmly believe that in the future the relationship between our two countries will be based on trade not aid.
Gender equality and development
We all know, another huge development challenge facing Zambia is ensuring that girls and women have a chance to reach their full potential. Despite progress on gender inequality girls and women face discrimination in every aspect of life바카라 사이트¦girls are more likely to drop out of school바카라 사이트¦women have less access to land, credit, markets and jobs바카라 사이트¦women remain under-represented in politics.
Ultimately Zambia will not truly develop to its full potential if half its population is locked out from reaching theirs.
And that바카라 사이트™s why this symposium is so important. Child marriage remains in so many countries a really critical symptom of the low status of girls and women바카라 사이트¦and of the day to day neglect of their rights.
In the past this issue has gone largely unacknowledged and untackled by the development community바카라 사이트¦it바카라 사이트™s been written off as too entrenched, too sensitive and too difficult to focus on.
But that is changing바카라 사이트¦changing because of the efforts of so many of you here today바카라 사이트¦changing because we are now seeing girls and women, men and boys, local and national leaders바카라 사이트¦all speaking out against this harmful practice바카라 사이트¦and Zambia playing a leading role in this movement.
Today I want to set out why I believe this issue is so important to development바카라 사이트¦and how the UK will walk down the path of development with Zambia바카라 사이트¦supporting your efforts to end child marriage바카라 사이트¦and how we want to play a role in bringing together governments, charities, businesses and activists from around to rally a global movement for change.
The scourge of child marriage
To begin with I want to be very clear that child marriage is not a sideline issue바카라 사이트¦it affects about 14 million girls every year. One in three girls in the developing world are married by age 18, and one in nine are married by age 15. Some are as young as eight years old.
And you only have to talk to girls themselves and hear how they feel about it to grasp how wrong this practice is.
Earlier today I spoke to some girls in Misisi compound who have been victims of child marriage. They spoke to me of the hardships and traumas they had experienced and what it was like to live with all the pressures of being a child mother.
What strikes you is that these girls have not just been robbed of a childhood바카라 사이트¦they바카라 사이트™ve been robbed of a future that could have been very different바카라 사이트¦a chance to unlock their full potential.
At the moment too many girls in Zambia, and around the world, reach adolescence and find that their future is already written바카라 사이트¦ it is already mapped out for them. A life without opportunities to get a job or finish an education, to travel or gain different experiences. It is a life that has been mapped out that leaves marriage the only option.
Every girl who is married as a child is a tragedy바카라 사이트¦a tragedy for her but also a tragedy for her children바카라 사이트¦for her country바카라 사이트™s development.
We know that complications of pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death among adolescent girls from the ages of 15 to 19. While the children of child brides are 60% more likely to die before their first birthday than the children of mothers who are over 19.
Child marriage is also closely linked to low levels of economic development바카라 사이트¦Girls who marry young are more likely to be poor and stay poor.
Zambia and child marriage
The alternative is so much better바카라 사이트¦girls will make good choices if we let them. They can choose to stay at school, marry later and have fewer children. When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries later, has fewer children바카라 사이트¦and these children are more educated and healthier.
Delaying marriage and enabling girls to improve their education, health and job opportunities helps to break the cycles of poverty that can pass from generation to generation.
So overcoming the negative impacts of child marriage isn바카라 사이트™t just the right thing to do바카라 사이트¦it바카라 사이트™s in everyone바카라 사이트™s interests바카라 사이트¦most especially the girls바카라 사이트™ interests and their children바카라 사이트™s interests.
But we know this isn바카라 사이트™t going to be easy.
In Zambia, the National Child Policy defines children as persons below the age of 18. Yet in reality two in five girl children are married before they are 18. And nearly twice as many girls marrying early in rural areas than in urban.
I know how seriously you are taking this issue바카라 사이트¦and my speech today is to stand in solidarity with you.
Zambia바카라 사이트™s Minister Luo and her Ministry of Chiefs & Traditional Affairs are showing real leadership바카라 사이트¦with Zambia one of the first AU countries to launch an ending child marriage campaign. I바카라 사이트™ve been so impressed Zambia바카라 사이트™s First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba바카라 사이트™s campaigning efforts which are internationally respected.
There is no single approach to tackling child marriage바카라 사이트¦we can leave no stone unturned in our task of improving girls바카라 사이트™ lives.
I know it바카라 사이트™s also a huge priority for the 바카라 사이트 to address the legal inconsistencies바카라 사이트¦which Dr Kaseba has highlighted on several occasions 바카라 사이트¦whereby Zambia바카라 사이트™s statutory law prohibits child marriage but customary laws allow it when a children to marry when they reach puberty.
And it is good to see that the 바카라 사이트 of Zambia is working collaboratively with a host of ministries including that of Ministry of Gender & Child Development, the Ministry of Community Development Mother & Child Health, the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Ministry of Justice.
And this is not just about changing laws and closer government working바카라 사이트¦it바카라 사이트™s about changing the attitudes of people and communities around the worth of girls and their contribution to society. And I바카라 사이트™m really impressed by your work with traditional, community leadership on this.
Because ultimately it바카라 사이트™s going to take a real coalition of voices바카라 사이트¦girls and boys, parents, traditional, religious and community leaders, politicians and the international community바카라 사이트¦all speaking out against this harmful practise of child marriage.
UK Support
The UK is determined to support Zambia바카라 사이트™s efforts바카라 사이트¦and wider efforts across the world to end child and forced marriage바카라 사이트¦and we want to play our part in a number of ways.
Firstly, education is fundamental to providing an alternative to marriage바카라 사이트¦ensuring girls have a chance to support themselves and their families through work. And we know parents who let their children go to school are more likely to allow them to get a job afterwards.
Many girls in Zambia, and around the world, are unable to finish school.
That바카라 사이트™s why over the next 3 years the UK has committed over 380million kwacha (ÂŁ37.5m) to Zambia바카라 사이트™s education sector, which will help an additional 30,000 girls into primary and secondary school.
After education getting a good job is key to girls바카라 사이트™ empowerment. We have also committed a further 150million kwacha (ÂŁ15m) to support Zambia바카라 사이트™s technical and vocational training system. This will generate almost 13,000 graduates with skills that are relevant to the market place and will offer 1,000 scholarships for under-privileged females, rural youth and disabled learners.
The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme that I visited today is also supporting a further 10,000 adolescent girls in rural and urban Zambia to complete their education, delay the age of first pregnancy and increase their life skills including money management. The girls meet weekly with a mentor from their community and follow a tailor made curriculum aimed at increasing their self-esteem, confidence and knowledge of their rights and sexual and reproductive health.
We also recognise that violence against women and girls is a huge problem바카라 사이트¦and girls who marry earlier are more likely to suffer domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Together with USAID we are working to provide critical response and care services for survivors of gender based violence and to prevent its occurrence in our Stamping Out and Preventing Gender based Violence programme바카라 사이트¦which operates in 25 districts in Zambia.
This programme also comprises an Ending Child Marriage component바카라 사이트¦where we will work directly with the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, civil society groups and traditional community leaders.
Finally, it바카라 사이트™s clear that teenage pregnancy is both a cause and a consequence of early marriage바카라 사이트¦nearly a third of 15 to 19 year girls have been pregnant or have a child.
There is a huge demand for family planning methods바카라 사이트¦and I commend the Zambia 바카라 사이트 for their work in this area recently. The UK is also providing 150m kwacha (ÂŁ14.8m) of support to this effort to enable an extra 200,000 Zambian women and girls have control over their own fertility.
None of these programmes can by themselves be transformative바카라 사이트¦but taken together바카라 사이트¦with the other work going on바카라 사이트¦they are creating an unstoppable momentum.
And I바카라 사이트™m determined that the UK will scale up our work on child and forced marriage further바카라 사이트¦in particular I want to do more research on what works. So we can make sure every pound, every kwacha is making the biggest difference to girls and women in Zambia.
An international agenda: Girl Summit
We also want to take the momentum in countries like Zambia and help drive tackling child marriage up the global agenda바카라 사이트¦
Child and forced marriage is an international problem바카라 사이트¦including in Britain where we have recently introduced new legislation to make forced marriage a criminal offence.
And Britain will shortly be hosting a Girl Summit to galvanise international efforts to end child and forced marriage altogether, as well as another harmful practice, female genital mutilation.
This Summit will take place in London on 22 July and we바카라 사이트™ll be bringing together governments, NGOs, charities, activists, businesses, young people바카라 사이트¦ to rally a global movement for consigning child and forced marriage and female genital mutilation to the history books everywhere바카라 사이트¦including in Britain.
At the event, co-hosted by UNICEF, we바카라 사이트™ll be hearing from girls and women and community leaders about their experiences. We바카라 사이트™ll be looking at what programmes have worked and ensuring that we can learn from each other.
And our ambition is to secure a huge range of commitments from governments, businesses and charities바카라 사이트¦ with everyone agreeing a declaration to end child and forced marriage and female genital mutilation in a generation.
I believe we can use this event to be a breakthrough moment for generations of girls and women.
I am very pleased that Zambia will be attending, including Honourable Minister Luo, will attend the Girl Summit, alongside other African heads of state and first ladies. Your testimony will be the fuel that lights the fire of progress for all of us.
Conclusion
Too many girls and women across the globe are still being locked out of progress바카라 사이트¦denied a chance to write their own future.
Child Marriage is one of the clearest examples of this. And that바카라 사이트™s why Zambia and the UK are taking action to end this harmful practise.
There is no one single step that can prevent child marriage. It바카라 사이트™s about getting girls into school and keeping them there. It바카라 사이트™s about ensuring they have access to sexual and reproductive health services. It바카라 사이트™s about giving girls economic opportunities and training. It바카라 사이트™s about working with families and local communities so child marriage is seen as holding girls back from their lives바카라 사이트¦not an introduction to it.
When all these things happen a better future will open up for girls, and for their countries, and indeed for all of us.
So once again I congratulate Zambia for its leadership on this issue. Thank you for allowing me to take part in this important symposium바카라 사이트¦and I look forward to welcoming you to our Summi