UN condemns Zimbabwe child marriages as girl dies after giving birth

The government has traditionally looked the other way when it comes to child marriage. The Marriage Act and the Customary Marriages Act are the two sets of marriage laws in Zimbabwe. Neither statute establishes a minimum age for marriage consent, and polygamy is permitted under customary law.

A new weddings bill currently before parliament intends to harmonize the laws, prohibiting the marriage of anybody under the age of 18, and prosecuting anyone participating in the marriage of a child.

In a statement, the United Nations in Zimbabwe said it “notes with grave sorrow and strongly condemns” the circumstances surrounding the death of Memory Machaya, a 14-year-old girl from rural Marange in Zimbabwe’s east.

“Unfortunately, troubling accusations of sexual abuse of underage girls, including forced child marriages, continue to surface, and this is yet another tragic case,” the UN stated in a statement dated August 7.

According to the United Nations, one out of every three girls in Zimbabwe will be married before they turn 18, according to the UN’s Zimbabwe office, which coordinates all 25 UN agencies active in the country.

The circumstances surrounding the girl’s death and burial are being investigated by police and the country’s governmental gender commission.

The youngster died last month, according to local media, but the matter only came to light this week after enraged relatives, who were prohibited from attending her burial by the church’s security, recounted their story to the state-owned press.

This article has been posted by a News Hour Correspondent. For queries, please contact through [email protected]
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