By Patrick Ndawala
Machinga, June 4, Mana: Minister of Gender, Patricia Kaliati has appealed to the educated young women in the country to avoid getting married to ‘second hand’ men whose interests are to get economic benefits from ladies.
Kaliati made the appeal when she presided over the launch of a Break-Free Project at Nsakalu Junior Primary School in Traditional Authority Chiwalo in Machinga.
The project was launched under the theme, ‘Young people’s quality education: Key to positive health seeking behaviour.’
The minister advised women to stop ‘buying love’ from their husbands saying both men and women need to work together to find needs of their families.
“Don’t go for these second hand men because you will not enjoy your marriage,” she said.
She said it was sad that there are still some women who appease their spouses with money.
Mindful that some parents actually marry off their under aged girls, she warned such guardians and parents against the malpractice, saying marriage is not a scapegoat for poverty.
Speaking on the project, Kaliati described the Break-Free Project as one such powerful intervention that can help the country to reduce cases of gender based violence.
She said the initiative is in line with one of the objectives of Malawi Vision 2063 which aims at eliminating all forms of gender based violence, harmful cultural practices and sexual violence.
Country Director for Plan International, Phoebe Kaonga, said the ultimate goal of the project is to see that adolescents are exercising their right to live free from teenage pregnancies and child marriages.
She said high numbers of child marriages and teenage pregnancies in the district prompted her organisation to implement the project in Machinga.
“Under the project, we want young people to have access to information and services. We also want to make sure that the delivery of our education responds to gender dynamics,” she explained.
Both Member of Parliament for Machinga North East, Anjilu Kalitendere and Paramount Chief Kawinga expressed their happiness with the project.
They said apart from improving education in the area, the project would also enlighten girls against getting into marriage at a tender age.
Meanwhile, Plan International in partnership with Fawema and SAT-Malawi has committed to construct two school blocks at Nsakalu Junior Primary School.
