By ETAMBUYU SANG’ANDU –
A NON-Governmental Organisation (NGO) says the abuse of girls in homes by parents and guardians has contributed to the increase in cases of early pregnancies in Zambia.
Friends of the Street Children director, Dalley Kafwimbi said most abused young girls were dropping out of school and getting pregnant with the hope of getting married so that they could have some peace in their lives.
Ms Kafwimbi said yesterday in an interview that parents and guardians should stop abusing young girls in homes so that early pregnancies could be reduced.
She said early child pregnancies were a hindrance to the effective growth and development of girls.
“Early child pregnancies are a hindrance to the development of women.
“This practice should be condemned at all costs. It’s not good in this era to be enticing young girls in marriages instead of encouraging them to go to school.
“We need to stand on our own as women and stop this practice, I am a bitter person seeing children run away from homes because of abuse and some being married off at a tender age, making the number of street children increase in towns,” she said.
Ms Kafwimbi said parents and guardians in the habit of abusing children particularly young girls should be prosecuted when arrested.
