28th Август 2025

Recommendations to SADC heads of State and Government on strengthening protection and support mechanisms for survivors of child marriage

Equality Now, together with the Stop Violence – Stop Child Marriage Project, YWCA Madagascar, Plan International, SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), convened a side event at the Southern Africa People’s Summit on 15 August 2025 under the theme “Strengthening Protection and Support Mechanisms for Survivors of Child Marriage.”

Forty participants from Madagascar, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, and Eswatini – including state, inter-state, and non-state actors – reflected on the progress of implementing regional and international frameworks such as the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Maputo Protocol.

What’s included in the submission?

The discussions highlighted challenges, good practices, and opportunities to strengthen protection and support for survivors, culminating in a set of recommendations for consideration by SADC Heads of State and Government.

Who’s this submission for?

  • SADC Heads of State
  • Law and policymakers
  • Legal professionals
  • Government institutions
  • Youth Forums
  • Southern African community

Key recommendations

  • Harmonise statutory, religious, and customary laws to eliminate contradictions, ensuring the minimum age of marriage is set and enforced at 18 years, without exceptions.
  • Establish national child rights observatories, disaggregated data collection systems, and child surveillance mechanisms to track the incidence, prevalence, and impact of child marriage.
  • Ensure prosecution of child marriage cases to end impunity.
  • Strengthen coordination across health, education, justice, and social services ministries to deliver comprehensive protection and prevention responses.
  • Actively engage traditional, religious, and community leaders in awareness campaigns, advocacy, and law enforcement.
  • Guarantee equitable and accessible school re-entry policies for pregnant and married girls.
  • Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks for instruments and capacity dedicated to tracking, documenting, and measuring progress to strengthen accountability to state obligations.
  • Institutionalise survivor-led platforms to influence policy design, implementation, and monitoring.

Explore more resources

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Ending child marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa

Our four policy briefs underscore the urgent need for clear and consistent laws and policies aligned with international and regional standards, including the SADC Model Law, to end child marriage and protect affected children.

Imperative legal, policy, and institutional reforms for enhanced support and protection of child marriage victims and survivors

Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), with support from Equality Now, conducted a focused study on child marriage in Zimbabwe, using Epworth as a case study. The research examined the country’s laws, policies, action plans, and other mechanisms meant to protect and support victims and survivors of child marriage.

Gender inequality in family laws In Africa: An overview of key trends in select countries

This report assesses the current status of family laws in 20 African countries, analyzing their compliance with the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW, and other relevant global and regional human rights treaties. 

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