Summit of the Future: Empowering communities, protecting futures!

In continued efforts to promote awareness within Zambian communities about the Summit of the Future and its potential impact on the lives and development of the nation, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lusaka in partnership with the Government through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, the Zambia Men’s Network for Gender and Development conducted a successful community discussion in Kapatamoyo village, Chipata District, Eastern Province with a focus on the pressing issue of early child marriage. 

With over 100 community members, 10 Village Headmen, the outreach brought together a diverse group of participants, who played a crucial role in providing different experiences and insights to the one of the major developmental issue the district is facing and the devastating effects of early child marriage on individuals, families, and communities, with a particular emphasis on community-driven solutions and urgent need for collective action.

“Early child marriage is a very serious issue in my chiefdom with over five cases monthly. It is for this reason that the chiefdom established a Gender Based Violence (GBV) Committee in 2020, as we noted that early child marriage is a form of GBV and needed attention,” said Chief Kapatamoyo.

The Chief said that the chiefdom had developed training programmes for the Village Headmen and Headwomen to understand the issues and know the reporting procedure of the cases, ensuring that such matters are treated with the urgency they deserved. He further said that the chiefdom had been conducting sensitization to raise awareness about the negative impact of the vice and further address other issues such as teenage pregnancies and defilement which are usually associated to it. 

16-year-old Peggie Mazyopa explained how in her case peer pressure and poverty played a role in her getting married at a tender age. 

“I used to admire my friends who were married because I come from a poor family with 12 siblings. I thought marriage would provide me with a solution to end the poverty since I would have a husband to take care of my needs. Traditional practices like the Initiation Ceremony made the situation worse because immediately I went through the process, I wanted to experiment with what I learnt which resulted in me getting pregnant and married when I was only 14 years old,”, she said. 

The community engagement highlighted challenges and provided participants an opportunity to reflect on some of the solutions they need to implement in the fight against early and child marriage. Participants expressed their commitment to working together to implement strategies for a more just and equitable society. The outreach program was hailed as a success, with participants expressing gratitude for the opportunity to engage in dialogue and learn about possible solutions to these pressing issues. 

UNIC Lusaka plans to continue its efforts to support community-led initiatives aimed at addressing early and child marriage.

Zambia will from 23-24 September 2024 join other United Nations member states at the Summit of the Future that will be held in New York to forge a new international consensus on delivering a better present and safeguarding the future.