S06.E01 - Getting it Right: Child Marriage Act in Malawi
Loading player...
In the new look and new sounding sixth season of the Let’s Talk Human Rights podcast, titled “Getting it Right – Championing Human Rights for Effective Governance”, our host Masechaba Mdaka explores the progress and successes in the human rights space across a range of critical issues, focusing on how these challenges are being addressed and the solutions that are proving effective.
Countless organisations are doing vital work—both behind the scenes and on the frontlines as human rights defenders. Yet we seldom pause to recognise or celebrate when we get it right. These moments of success have a direct impact on the protection of democratic values, the promotion of equity, and the strengthening of governance—benefits that should be enjoyed by every citizen of every nation.
Episode 1 delves into Malawi’s Children’s Act and the country’s efforts to end child marriage. Masechaba investigates how the Malawian government took the progressive step of amending its Constitution to raise the legal age of a child from 16 to 18, and speaks with those who are working tirelessly to ensure the continued illegal practice is both discouraged and eradicated.
This powerful and deeply moving episode shares the lived experiences of two individuals—a young girl and a young woman—and follows their personal journeys, revealing how child marriage has shaped their lives. It sheds light on the devastating impact of this harmful traditional practice, particularly on young women and girls, stripping them of their agency, denying them future opportunities, and often condemning them to lives of dependency and abuse.
Countless organisations are doing vital work—both behind the scenes and on the frontlines as human rights defenders. Yet we seldom pause to recognise or celebrate when we get it right. These moments of success have a direct impact on the protection of democratic values, the promotion of equity, and the strengthening of governance—benefits that should be enjoyed by every citizen of every nation.
Episode 1 delves into Malawi’s Children’s Act and the country’s efforts to end child marriage. Masechaba investigates how the Malawian government took the progressive step of amending its Constitution to raise the legal age of a child from 16 to 18, and speaks with those who are working tirelessly to ensure the continued illegal practice is both discouraged and eradicated.
This powerful and deeply moving episode shares the lived experiences of two individuals—a young girl and a young woman—and follows their personal journeys, revealing how child marriage has shaped their lives. It sheds light on the devastating impact of this harmful traditional practice, particularly on young women and girls, stripping them of their agency, denying them future opportunities, and often condemning them to lives of dependency and abuse.
