AACP rescues 122 girls from early marriages in region

SULEIMAN SHAGATA in Shinyanga

AGAPE AIDS Control Programme (AACP) in collaboration with Msichana Initiative (MI) have rescued 122 girls who were expected to be wedded in Shinyanga Region

Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ yesterday in Shinyanga Municipality, AACP Deputy Director, Mr Samwel Magina said that by May this year, about 57 girls had been reported to be in the process of early marriage in the area, and the number unexpectedly rose to 122 recently, which prompted them to intervene and rescue them from the illegal marriages.

“Although our intervention is by creating awareness against premature marriages as illegal, our attempts have been facing whacks from some parents who prefer and force their daughters to marry as soon as possible for dowry purposes,” he said.

Mr Magina cited a case where a girl named as Justina Andrew (14), was rescued by his organisation in Shaburuba village in Shinyanga District after her Standard Seven exams, when her father was forcing her to marry after being given a dowry of 15 cattle in July of this year

He said that the girl had been offered a chance to proceed on with her studies in Usanda Secondary School, but her father could not buy that and on getting the grapevine, they investigated and intervened, making the child to join the school for further studies.

“Her vision of proceeding on with studies was nearly being thwarted by her parent’s decision to get dowry; enrich himself and business as usual life to take its course,” the deputy director pointed out.

He recommended that the 16 days earlier organised and observed in the country against Gender Based Violence (GBV), should be revived and its slogans implemented by the government, and other stakeholders to protect girls from early marriages.

On her side, the MI Director, Ms Rebeca Gyumi, who also won ‘Global Goal Award’ from Tanzania for spearheading rights of girl children, urged the government and other stakeholders to push for speedy enactment of a bill to end marriages of girls under 15 years. She said that early marriages make the girls to be vulnerable to acquire HIV/AIDS and deny them further education, and as well torture them psychologically.

“We will continue to lobby the Parliament to amend the 1971 law which has loopholes for girls under 15 years to marry,” said Ms Gyumi.

Shinyanga Region generally leads with high incidences of early marriage of girls with about 59 per cent statistics according to UNICEF 2012 report. Some of the reasons for such marriages include culture and customs which are not friendly to them, despite local government, and other Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and police interventions.