Lilongwe, Malawi – On the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson today visited Malawi to shine a global spotlight on the need to end child, early and forced marriage. 

She met with national leaders, traditional chiefs and girls who have returned to school after having marriages annulled.

In 2015, Malawi passed the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18. 

UN Women, together with partners, played an integral role in advocating the new law and works with traditional chiefs to change local practices.

Pictured: In the district of Dedza, Emma Watson met with Senior Chief Inkosi Kachindamoto, a prominent champion in the fight to stop child marriage. 

The Chief has annulled nearly 1,500 such marriages among her constituents, and suspended village heads who have consented to the practice. 

Together with other traditional leaders, she has also developed a model bylaw that is aligned to the national law and applies to child marriages. It seeks to outlaw all child marriages, harmful cultural practices and gender-related abuses.

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Source: USA Today