Source: On Islam
Rural Muslim communities in Malawi have intensified efforts to reduce rising cases of early marriages among girls to champion the promotion of the education for the girl child, which is said to have suffered much neglect.

“Since independence about 50 years ago, Muslim communities have not taken education for girls as necessary. Girls have been forced into early marriages, a development which has led to poverty and stagnation of various aspects of development in our communities,” Senior Chief Chitera, a great champion of education for the gild child, told OnIslam.net.

“It is against this background that as traditional leaders, we have taken up this initiative to accelerate the promotion of education for the gild child so that communities could start valuing education first before marriage.”

Chitera hailed the new efforts of the rural Muslim communities to reduce early marriages as a “breakthrough” towards attainment of Education for All (EFA) goal in the southern African nation.

The education activist, from the predominantly Muslim south added, “if chiefs can’t take a leading role in this regard, nobody will and as a result girls will continue to be victims of some cultural beliefs. Therefore, at the end of the day, the whole society will pay dearly through this neglect.”

“Traditional leaders as custodians of cultures are influencing families through various social gatherings on the significance of education for the girl child. Through this initiative, we are rescuing girls trapped up in early marriages. Following these meetings, communities now value education. They are slowly beginning to realize that educating a girl is not a waste of resources as they have been thinking all along.”

She said since the initiative kick started, the number of girls “fleeing” from early marriages have been on the decrease.

“Figures for girls being lured into early marriages either by their parents or guardians within the Muslim communities have been very high,” Chitera said.

“But when this initiative was started, girls are very skeptical about rushing into marriages; as a result they are opting for education. With support from various education stakeholders we are able to woo girls to proceed with education even while they are still in marriage.”

Common Problem

According to a research conducted by an education think tank, Link Education Project, many communities in Malawi have not valued education for girls.

“Girls are forced to marry as young as 12 years old and this often marks the end of a girl’s education,” the organization noted in its report.

“Early pregnancy is another common issue that often leads to permanent drop out and despite there being a national readmission policy stating that girls may re-enter the education system following child birth, many raise concerns that this policy is unknown, at school level and in the community,” the report added.

Muslim activists like Chitera were making this dream possible.

“We are reaching out to the communities with a message that unless both boys and girls have access to education in an equal measure, it will be hard for our communities to advance in any form of development where women are always in the forefront in its implementation. Therefore, unless they are educated, their efforts would be fruitless to the country,” said Chitera.

The influential traditional leader observed that lack of education among women in the country has led to growing levels of poverty; a development she said has led to stagnation of development endeavors.

“Although, I’m convinced that education has the key to unlock potential for sustainable development, both at household and community level. Some sectors of the society have used the Quran as a basis to deny girls education. But with the support of religious leaders, we have managed to change this mindset.”

Meanwhile, leading education activists and Muslim leaders have hailed the initiative.

“As I have said before, the figures of girls dropping out of school in the Muslim community have been very depressing,” Benedicto Kondowe, a leading education activist, told OnIslam.net.

“This development therefore, is a landmark which calls for multi-sect oral support. It is a breakthrough towards attainment of Education for All (EFA) goal. According to the EFA initiative, education should be made available to all. What these communities are therefore doing is to enhance the success of this initiative and this is highly commendable,” he added.

Kondowe asserted that denying girls access to education posed a threat to human development in the southern African country.

“Education is a catalyst for social and economic development. Therefore, by denying girls access to basic education, we are denying them an opportunity to human development. Education for girls has not been accorded much attention by communities in this country. How then can we be talking of gender equality and human development if we ignore the aspect of education? There is therefore need for communities to take a leading role in fighting for education for the girl child,” he said.

“There is no country in the world which can talk of meaningful development if women are denied access to education. And in the same vein, we can’t talk of alleviating poverty, if women remain uneducated. Literacy, is key in the fight against poverty.”

Necessity

On his part, National Chairperson of Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Mohammed Idrissa said the development would save girls from “social ruin”.

“As a Muslim body, we highly commend this initiative. Girls in this country both within the Muslim community and outside are being ruined by social forces which lure them into early marriages. This initiative therefore will save them from this trap,” Idrissa told OnIslam.net.

“We are also appealing to various education stakeholders to join this initiative so that at the end of the day, something worthwhile, could be achieved. We have emphasized time and again that there is no religious justification to deny women access to education. Islam doesn’t encourage this practice. All of us must strive to attain basic education for our own good and that of the society.”

Malawi is a diverse religious, but secular nation. Islam is the second largest religion in the country after Christianity. It accounts for 36% of the country’s 16 million population.

Islam highly appreciates marriage and gives it due care stating detailed rules and ruling in every single and small matter.

Islam doesn’t impose a specific age for eligibility for marriage and leaves it for the legal authorities to decide the proper age for marriage in order to maintain interests of both husbands and wives.

This, of course, changes from one country or community to anther depending on many considerable factors.

In Islam also it is not permissible for the guardian to compel the one under his guardianship to marry someone she does not desire to marry.

Rather, it is necessary to seek her consent and permission.

• Malawi