Economic Empowerment
Source:allAfrica
Southern African parliamentarians have endorsed a call to end child marriage in sub-Saharan countries at the 37th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, which ended in Cape Town on Saturday.
At a media briefing yesterday, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi said a resolution was taken at the week-long assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum to expedite the drafting of a model law on child marriages and to ensure that this is approved by the 39th Plenary Assembly Session.
Katjavivi noted that 40 per cent of children in southern Africa are being married off before they are 18 years of age. Two SADC member states are among ten countries with the highest rates of child marriages in the world, where over 50 per cent of children are getting married before they reach the legal age of 18.
"As a practical approach, the plenary implored parliamentarians to ensure that appropriate legislation is enacted at a national level to outlaw early and forced child marriages," Katjavivi said. "We urge our governments to adopt integrated approaches towards preventing and eliminating child marriages, including engaging with women and girls themselves and their families, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations and legislators," he added.
Other key issues
The forum also deliberated on issues, such as the establishment of the SADC Regional Parliament, a proposal which, according to Katjavivi, was welcomed by Botswana President Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
Parliamentarians from across the region also expressed support for the implementation of SADC's revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan for the period of 2015 to 2020, as well as the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap for 2015 to 2063.
These two regional policy instruments anchor SADC's approach to industrialisation, Katjavivi said. Furthermore, the conference also touched on recent elections and democratisation in the member states of Namibia, Mauritius, Lesotho and Zambia. Katjavivi said the parliamentary forum was satisfied with the developments in these countries.
Additionally, the forum urged electoral bodies in all member states to take up the recommendations of the SADC Forum Election Observer mission.
Concerns over agriculture, food security and the land question were among other important issues debated at the forum.