Nuusita Ashipala
Ongwediva-Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has reiterated its commitment to address the issue of child marriages and take street children off the streets.
Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister, Doreen Sioka, said the ministry is conducting research on child marriages and the findings will be used to address the problem.
Sioka, in a speech read countrywide as children celebrate the Day of the Namibian Child, reiterated that government is committed to protect children from these harmful practices.
“I am appealing to you to help the government address this phenomenon of child marriages. Let us encourage children to go to school for a bright future and let marriage come later at its right time, as per the wish of the child,” said Sioka.
The practice, which affects both boys and girls, disadvantages the children, as they fail to complete their education and are burdened with parental responsibilities.
The day was celebrated under the theme: ‘The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Children in Namibia: Accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunity’.
Agenda 2030 envisions a world that invests in children and in which every child grows up free from violence and exploitation with a particular focus on those in most vulnerable situations.