President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda has called for the economic empowerment of young girls if child marriages are to end, while stressing once a girl child starts menstruation does not mean she be given out for marriage.
The Ugandan President was speaking today at a high level side event on the margins of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly under the theme: “Accelerating Efforts to Eliminate Child Marriage in Africa by 2030”.
President Museveni stated that due to poverty, parents marry off their children so that their husbands can look after them.
He said if the young girls are empowered economically and through education and skills, this could reduce the rate of child marriages as the girls would spend more years in school.
“In the past many young girls in the old African societies were immediately married off the moment they started their menstrual periods due to poor knowledge about biology.
“Biology now tells us that menstruation does not mean a child is ready for marriage,” he said.
Citing Uganda, the President said that there is need to sensitize people about the right age for one to get married and then for the governments to come up with laws that ban early child marriages.
“Once we sensitized Ugandans that before the age of 18 children are too young to be married government legislated and banned marriage before the age of 18 years,” he said.
President Museveni further stated that there is need follow up the discussion with action, and to find social programs to occupy children such as free education so that children of the poor can study and acquire skills.
According to UNICEF, more than 700 million girls and women alive today were married as children.