* She drew attention to the critical risks that teenage pregnancies and child marriages present to the prospects of young girls
* With alarming statistics revealing that 29% of girls aged 15-19 are pregnant or have already given birth, and 42% are married before reaching 18 years old
* These circumstances lead to high rate of school dropouts as well as perpetuating the cycle of poverty
By Lisa Kadango Malango, MANA in New York, USA
Education obstacles pose a significant threat to the future of Malawi’s youth, as merely 17% have access to secondary education, due to factors such as poverty, long distances to schools, and inadequate infrastructure.
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First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera made the observation during a summit of the global platform for first ladies and gentlemen at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York, USA.
Madame Chakwera drew attention to the critical risks that teenage pregnancies and child marriages present to the prospects of young girls, with alarming statistics revealing that 29% of girls aged 15-19 are pregnant or have already given birth, and 42% are married before reaching 18 years old.
She emphasised that these circumstances lead to high rate of school dropouts as well as perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
The First Lady added that youth unemployment intensifies poverty and inequality in Malawi, as many lack the requisite skills for the job market, thereby impeding economic participation and growth.
“Enhancing the quality of education is paramount in overcoming these challenges by improving adolescent health, reducing incidences of child marriages, and fostering youth participation in the economy,” she said
Additionally, Madame Chakwera highlighted the initiatives of the Shaping Our Future Foundation in Malawi, which focuses on advancing girls’ education, empowering women economically, and advocating for sexual and reproductive health to effectively address these pressing issues.
She mentioned that the Foundation’s efforts have already benefitted over 2,000 girls to remain in school and facilitated 25 girls attending public universities.
Chakwera stressed the necessity for more initiatives to prevent school dropouts, such as expanding national scholarship programmes and establishing hostels in rural areas to provide secure accommodation for girls.
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Furthermore, she emphasised the importance of enhancing health services and access to sexual and reproductive health services, in conjunction with economic empowerment programmes for women — to deter child marriages and encourage the retention of girls in school.
She also highlighted the significance of investing in skills training and agricultural innovation for the youth, supported by the President’s initiative on environmentally sustainable large-scale farms, which will create opportunities in agribusiness saying this will require additional support in the form of matching grants and loans.
And during the We Are Equal Campaign Conference by Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), Madame Chakwera said Malawi has made significant strides to empower girls through different ways as part of the ‘We Are Equal’ campaign that is being championed globally.
The meeting was held at the Ford Foundation Centre for Social Justice in New York and Madame Chakwera said since the launch of the campaign We Are Equal in September 2023, through the national girls’ mentorship programme, Malawi has connected over 250 girls with women professionals, empowering them with role models who have excelled in higher education.
She further said through the campaign, 160 women have been supported to establish stable income-generating activities, contributing to their economic independence.
“For us, closing the gender gap in education, health, and economic empowerment is not just a goal, but a need that requires our dedication now more, than ever.
Recently, we engaged 150 chiefs advocating for girls’ education, reducing teenage pregnancies and child marriages including fighting cervical cancer
“Moving forward, our chiefs have agreed to carry advocacy on education and enforcing local by laws that support the cause. Through my foundation, my office is ready to scale up such efforts nationwide, providing education bursaries and advocating for sexual and reproductive health.”
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She commended OAFLAD, Ministries and partners for their support, adding the meeting has paved the way for a brighter future in which women and girls’ potential can flourish.
On her part, OAFLAD executive secretary, Nardos Berhanu said We Are Equal campaign is putting more emphasis on the urgency of advancing gender equity and closing the gender gap in Africa.
She said First Ladies will continue advocating for gender-inclusive policies in four key action areas namely health care, gender-based violence, education and economic empowerment.
In February 2023, the General Assembly approved the introduction of a new flagship campaign for OAFLAD and by June 2023, the We Are Equal campaign was officially launched in Kinshasa during OAFLAD’s 20th anniversary celebration.
To date, 18 countries have launched this campaign, each championing specific issues the pillars mentioned.
Meanwhile, OAFLAD has called for renewed action and urgency to close the gender gap in Africa, saying this is not an act of charity but justice, common sense and utmost priority.
“The renewed actions include leading and making decisions through gender lens, upholding and enacting laws protecting girls and women’s rights, and strengthening primary health care, among others.
On Sunday, the Malawi First Lady held an audience with chief strategy & engagement officer for Plan International, Kathleen Sherwin where she hailed the international NGO for its continued support towards her Shaping Our Future Foundation on girls’ education.
Madame Chakwera stressed the need for Plan International to continue working with the Shaping Our Future Foundation by supporting girls so that they remain in school and finish their tertiary education.
“I am particularly grateful for the collaboration in providing secondary School bursaries through my foundation, Shaping Our Future, which has contributed significantly to the strides Malawi has made in girls education,” she said.
She disclosed that out of 47 students who previously passed the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE), 25 have been selected to various public universities in Malawi — representing a 53% transition rate.
“Shaping Our Future Foundation bursary recipients for 2023 public university selection has greatly improved enrolling seven students to Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, College of Medicine (five students), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (four students), Kamuzu University of Health Science (three), University of Malawi (three), Mzuzu University (two) and others went to Malawi University of Science & Technology.
She mentioned that there is a need for more financial support for Shaping Our Future Foundation to provide annual scholarships for at least 25 students selected for various public universities in Malawi.
Madam Chakwera then thanked the Plan International family for the collaborative efforts such as paying school fees, providing mentorship and building girl-friendly infrastructure which has directly impacted the lives of many young girls across the country.
“There is a need of about K17 million to cover tuition, on-campus accommodation, food and school stationery materials and about K71 million for four-year university sponsorship.”
Madame Chakwera expressed satisfaction with the involvement of traditional leaders who are at the forefront of ensuring that girls and boys remain in school — noting that various chiefs across the country have come up with by-laws to ensure that girls are not rushing into early marriages saying this is commendable and needs support.
“In some areas, we are facing challenges with cultural norms and social practices that influence girls to get married at a tender age that is linked to poverty, hence with the intervention of traditional leaders, school enrolment rate has greatly enhanced,” she said.
On her part, Kathleen Sherwin said Global Girls Foundation is a new initiative of Plan International focused on bringing together global leaders, philanthropists and girls to look at large-scale girls initiatives in leadership, girls in crisis and girls in innovation.
She took cognizance of the First “service as the first ambassadorship for the Global Girls Foundation, giving her many years in partnership with Plan International at a country level and would love to see her leadership help to bring global awareness to girls education.”
Sherwin added that the foundation will be focusing on raising funds globally from philanthropists to be able to fund large-scale initiatives for girls in leadership, girls in crisis and girls in innovation.—Wrap up edited by Maravi Express
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