New York / Harare – October 19, 2016
Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) celebrates the major achievement of its Zimbabwean members’ work to end child, early and forced marriage in their country with the presentation by Hon. Jessie Majome, MP, Chair of PGA’s National Group in Zimbabwe, of a draft Bill of Amendments to Laws addressing child marriage to the acting Vice-president of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa, serving in his capacity as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on October 18, 2016. Hon. Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, MP and Secretary of PGA’s National Group, and Hon. H. Nyanhongo, MP, in representation of Hon. Biata Nyamupinga, Chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Gender and Development, also joined in the presentation.
The draft legislation encompasses amendments to the Birth and Death Registration Act, Children’s Act, Customary Marriages Act, Marriage Act, and the Criminal Law (Codification and Law Reform) Act. The bill seeks to harmonize existing Laws with the new Constitution that prescribes 18 as the legal age of marriage. Hon. Mnangagwa has agreed to include provisions of the proposed amendments presented by Hon. Majome in the Ministry of Justice’s current review of the Marriages Bill.
This legislative initiative comes as a result of Honorable Majome’s participation in PGA’s Parliamentary Seminar on Combating Early and Forced Marriage on March 2014, in Accra, Ghana where participants from the host country, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania adopted a Statement of Commitment to end child marriage in their countries. She reiterated her commitment to ending this practice two years later, in 2016, at PGA’s Capacity Building Seminar for African Parliamentarians on Addressing Child, Early, and Forced Marriage noting in her remarks, that upon her return to her country in 2014, she had sought audience with the Minister of Justice to request that he send to the floor of Parliament a bill to remove all statutory loopholes allowing child marriage and thus, harmonizing such legislation with constitutional standards.
In drafting this Bill of Amendments, Hon. Majome collaborated closely with civil society partners, including the Research Advocacy Unit (RAU), Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZLWA) Simbo, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Plan International, Campaign for Female Education (CamFed), and Child Protection Society.
The commitment and passion of Hon. Majome and PGA’s National Group members in Zimbabwe to ending child marriage in their country is an inspiring example of how leadership, advocacy among colleagues, and engaging with members of civil society are key to raising awareness about the issue and improving the human rights of girls and women in a country.
Ending child marriage is a human rights and a developmental imperative as reaffirmed in Agenda 2030’s Sustainable Goal 5. PGA congratulates Honorable Majome and her colleagues and looks forward to continuing efforts to ensure no one is left behind.
