‘Whether you like it or not, I want these marriages to be terminated’, Theresa Kachindamoto, the appointed Chief of Malawi since 2003, told the 900,000 population of the Dedza District, Central Malawi. She commits to annul 850 marriages and send the girls back to school during her time in office. Kachindamoto told UN Women, “They must go to school. No child should be found at home or doing household chores during school time.” Not only have Malawi appointed a female chief, but also have elected their first female president, Joyce Banda, in May 2014.
In a recent UN report, Malawi was ranked 8th out of 20 countries with high rates of child marriages. Kachindamoto aims to overturn laws surrounding child marriages, arguing that an educated girl brings greater fortune to households.
