Southern African leaders have been urged to step up efforts to end child marriage and strengthen protection for survivors, amid warnings that without urgent action the practice could continue for another 200 years.
Equality Now and its partners issued the call during the Southern Africa Peoples Summit in Madagascar where campaigners accused governments of failing to implement existing laws designed to protect children.
"Despite national laws outlawing child marriage, progress across the region remains painfully slow. Weak enforcement and minimal interventions to address root causes have kept prevalence rates high," Equality Now said.
Delegates at the summit reviewed the domestication of the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and related UN frameworks highlighting both achievements and gaps in protecting vulnerable girls.
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They submitted a set of recommendations to SADC heads of state, including harmonising national laws and policies, strengthening data systems to guide interventions, expanding survivor protection and support services, establishing an Anti-Child Marriage Fund to finance counselling and reintegration programmes and engaging communities to challenge harmful social norms.
Advocates stressed that political will, survivor-centred services, community involvement and sustainable funding are critical to ending the practice.
They said adopting the proposals could accelerate progress, protect survivors of gender-based violence and safeguard the dignity and rights of children across southern Africa.
