By CHRISTINE MWAABA  – in Kasama
PARAMOUNT Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people in Kasama has called for a review of some traditional practices that seemingly contribute to teenage pregnancies and child marriages.
The paramount chief urged the concerned stakeholders to collaborate and relook at the cultural practices proving to be the root causes of the increasing cases of early pregnancies and marriages.
“Some of the traditional practices, if left unchecked, will continue contributing to early pregnancies and marriages. Immediate preventive action needs to be taken,” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said.
He said this yesterday when World Bank Social protection specialist Emily Weedon, in the company of Ministry of Gender, Community Development and General Education officials, called on him at his palace.
The traditional leader said lack of social amenities in rural areas was another contributing factor to child pregnancies and early marriages because young people were not kept away from illicit activities.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu expressed worry that the existing laws prohibiting sexual and gender-based violence were not adequately applied to deter offenders from executing the vice.
He thanked the World Bank for supporting the Government implement the Girls Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) project that will help 14,000 girls countrywide complete their education.
Ms Weedon said the GEWEL project would ensure that women and girls were empowered to realise individual and collective growth opportunities in life.
“Progression of the girl-child to attaining an education is a key component to having an educated population and it will be outstanding to see that a number of girls are enrolled in primary and secondary schools, while women are empowered,” Ms Weedon said.
She pledged that the financial institution would continue supporting Zambia implement programmes towards perpetually eliminating early child marriages and teenage pregnancies.