Background

CHICOSUDO with support from Mundo Coperentee is implementing a one year project. The goal is to prevent 1,000 early and forced marriages among girls below 16 years old in Traditional Authority Nkanda in Mulanje by empowering girls and engaging the community members and leaders to address harmful cultural norms and reinforce bylaws and policies that protect the girl children from early marriage thereby directly protecting, helping them for the full enjoyment of their childhood by May 2024.

While the rate of child marriages among girls below 16 years in Malawi at 9% (unicef 2020), locally in Mulanje district, adolescent girls are getting married before 18 years old. Today, such girls are denied access to education, health and are burdened with roles and responsibilities of wives and mothers without adequate support, resources, or capabilities contrary to the Malawi strategy 2018 to 2023 on ending child marriages and constitution of Malawi which is aiming at protecting the rights of children.

The goal is to prevent 1,000 early and forced marriages among girls below 16 years old in Traditional Authority Nkanda in Mulanje by empowering girls and engaging the community members and leaders to address harmful cultural norms and reinforce bylaws and policies that protect the girl children from early marriage thereby directly protecting, helping them for the full enjoyment of their childhood by May 2024.

CHICOSUDO uses Girls Safe Space (GSS) and Community Engagement (CE) approaches in addressing child marriage.