CSOs Dates Law Makers on Passing Trafficking in Persons Bill, Minimum Marriage Age Bill
Several Civil Society Organisations working in the fight for Women and Children rights on Monday engaged members of Parliament encouraging them to pass two bills 'The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill of 2015 and Trafficking in Persons Bill.
Among others members were individually approached to emphasize that the two bills are very important for the best interest of Malawians because they will help to support traditional leader's efforts to stop marriages below the age of 18. And they have strength to curb human trafficking which Malawi is being rated a country registering highest incidences due to lack of specific anti trafficking legislation and porous borders. CSOs indicates that in 2014 alone, there were 2000 estimated cases of trafficking, with 500 police cases that have been handled by various partners.
Programme Officer for Women's Legal Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) Mr. Gift Mauluka said two bills are on the order paper and wanted to interact with all members of parliament highlighting them "importance and advantages of passing the bills"
He said CSOs are proposing the marriage age to be above 18 years but members can even reach a bold decision to raise the age to 21 "even under consent of parents"
"We want the bill to be above the current age of 15 because of the complications that come about if a person is under that age and when they are in a marriage. We feel that 18 years is comfortable age to say that a person can be in a marriage and can give birth properly"
Mauluka said of the Marriage Bill "As advocates we don't see a lot of contentious issues that need do be re-looked for it it to be passed. Very often the Law is not 100% positive, but currently the bill as it is we feel it is in good position to be passed"
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