Child Marriage Booklet

1. WHO IS A CHILD?

According the Zambian Constitution, a child is any person below 18 years.

2. WHAT IS CHILD MARRIAGE

The age at which a person is allowed to get married in Zambia is 21years. The law also allows a child who is above 18years but below 21years to get married on condition that the parents of the child agree (consent) or the High Court allows the marriage to take place. Marriage involving a child below the age of 18years is called Child Marriage and is not allowed under the Zambian laws.

In Zambia, child marriage affects both girls and boys. However, girls are more likely to get married before they are 18 years unlike boys of similar age. Child marriages are common in African customary law where children especially girls, are considered ready for marriage when they reach puberty.

3. TYPES OF MARRIAGES IN ZAMBIA

There are two types of marriages in Zambia and these are:

i). Statutory Marriage - This is a type of marriage which is registered at the Civic Centre before the Registrar of Marriages.

ii). Customary Marriage - This type of marriage is one which is conducted according to the tribes of the people getting married. Thus, the marriage procedure will vary depending on the particular tribe. The payment of marriage dowry is common in most Zambian tribes. There is no requirement to register a customary marriage.

4. WHY CHILD MARRIAGE HAPPENS

The following are some of the causes for child marriage

• Negative or harmful traditional and cultural practices - Children are forced into arranged marriages due to cultural practices which permit a child whether boy or girl to get married once they reach puberty. For boys, it is usually upon demonstrating that they can take care of a family or able to hunt down an animal which shows that they are capable of providing for the home.

• Poverty – The payment of dowry for girls is seen as an opportunity for parents to make money or wealth.

• Unequal opportunities between boys and girls - Boys usually have better opportunities to advance their education compared to girls. A poor family will usually support the boy child to attend secondary or tertiary education than a girl child who will often be married off.

• Teenage pregnancy- parents marry off teenage children who fall pregnant

• Initiation ceremonies also promote child marriages

• Lack of birth registration especially in rural areas make it difficult to ascertain the age of a child therefore, increasing the risk of child marriage.

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