Malawi: Campaigners Seek to End Sex in Girls' Initiation Ceremony

In rural Malawi, families send girls as young as 12 years old for "initiation," a traditional, cultural practice that marks a child's entry into adulthood. But child rights campaigners say the ritual entices young girls into early sex, marriage, and teenage pregnancy — forcing many to drop out of school. One local organization is seeking to change this by teaching initiation counselors to give girls age-appropriate information.

Madalitso Makosa was 13 years old when she underwent a traditional, Malawian initiation ritual to become an adult.

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