Famously known as "the terminator" of child marriages, Theresa Kachindamoto is single-handedly changing the face of Malawi.
Image credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown
The senior chief of the district of Dedza, Malawi, Theresa Kachindamoto is one of the 300 tribal leaders of the country. She is the youngest of 12 siblings, and a mother of five. She could have never expected to be the senior chief to more than 900,000 people after 27 years of job as a secretary at a city college in Zomba, another district in Southern Malawi.
When she took charge of her role she came to know about the rampant rate at which children were getting married in Dedza. She recounts, "When I came here I saw a lot of girls – about 12, 13, 14 – having two children. This is why I got angry because they’re too young for having a baby." This convinced her to take charge of the matter and do something about it. As a senior chief, if the village headman allows a girl to be married, she started dismissing him completely. She told everyone: 'Whether you like it or not, I want these marriages to be terminated.'
When I came here I saw a lot of girls – about 12, 13, 14 – having two children
She mandated that all village headmen sign and enforce an agreement to abolish child marriage and annul existing marriages. Those who refused were stripped of their position. This led to the dismissal of 7 village headmen, 2 of whom were women.
She has annulled over 3000 child marriages by developing a strongly connected team of "secret mothers and fathers" who are responsible for keeping an eye on other parents and ensuring no one pulls their girls out of school. She has built coalitions and passed by-laws that prohibit early marriage and sexual initiation customs. She has gone door to door to convince parents not to get their daughters married at a tender age. She says, "If girls are educated, they can be and have whatever they want."
Theresa has faced multiple death threats, harassment, but she never gave up on her mission to stop child marriage and give the right to education to girls.
If girls are educated, they can be and have whatever they want.
Poverty and Child Marriage
According to UNICEF, nearly 46% of girls in Malawi are married before the age of 18, and 9% before the age of 15. Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world, it ranks 160th out of 182 nations. The national poverty rate of Malawi has increased from 50.7% in 2010 to 51.5% in 2016. Poverty is often cited as the primary cause of child marriage from the vantage point of struggling families.
In 2015, Malawi's parliament passed a law banning child marriage and increasing the age of marriage to 18. However, under the customary law of the traditional authorities, Malawian children can still be married with parental consent.
Image credit: Global Women Media
Sexual initiation
Misomali, a member of the secret mothers group, says in certain areas one can't even think of intervening because of severe community backlash. These areas lie outside Kachindamoto's jurisdiction as even chiefs and police "can't intervene." She tells about the existence of sexually abusive traditions where young girls are sent to camps for "kusasa fumbi" - which means cleansing.
According to reports, in these camps, the girls are taught 'how to please men' by performing titillating dances and sex acts. Some "graduate" only by having sex with the teacher. Others return home untouched, only to be preyed on by a local "hyena" - men hired by parents to take their girls' virginity, or by prospective husbands to impregnate them.
In these camps, the girls are taught 'how to please men' by performing titillating dances and sex acts. Some "graduate" only by having sex with the teacher
Even though Kachindamoto has banned these kinds of cleansing rituals, some suggest they are still in existence.
The Trauma of Sexual Abuse
According to UNICEF one in five Malawian girls is a victim of sexual violence, and one in seven boys. The report shows how in most cases the abusers are people that children trust and are related to, such as uncles, stepfathers and fathers.
In an interview to Al Jazeera, Nankali Maksud, UNICEF Malawi's head of child protection said, "These are the people who are supposed to be protecting young people, but they're the ones who are the perpetrators, and that makes the response a lot harder."
Some traditions promote sexual abuse within the family. If a girl's aunt or older sister falls sick, she can be sent to look after the household, and in some cases will be expected to have sex with her uncle or step-brother, according to one organisation working in the area, which asked to remain unnamed as Malawian authorities are not fond of such traditions being exposed, as reported by Al Jazeera.
What Mary Waya Says
Image credit: BBC
Mary Waya, a former child abuse victim, who is now an international netball star. She coaches for Malawi's national team. According to Waya, still "in the village, you find some of the chiefs agree to do this cleansing". There is also the local belief that sick men can cure themselves by having sex with virgins.
I see girls being abused, being sent to be prostitutes, taken out of school as parents have no money
As a victim of abuse herself, Waya teaches girls to accept and cherish their bodies. See it as more than just objects for other people's pleasure. She meets victims of sexual abuse nationwide through her Mary Waya netball Academy. She says, "I see girls being abused, being sent to be prostitutes, taken out of school as parents have no money," or orphaned girls who have to provide for siblings. She hopes to see them come out of the trauma of abuse with the help of sports as she herself did. Unlike most victims who dropped out of school, Waya fought her childhood trauma by playing sports and through her studies.
The Terminator of Child Marriages
In a nutshell, Theresa Kachindamoto changed the law, made child marriage below the age of 18 illegal. She set up strong networks of secret mothers and fathers to avert any action by the parents to take their girls out of school. She paid fees of young girls whose families couldn't afford their education. She annulled more than 3000 marriages, went door to door to convince parents against child marriage. Now she aims to increase the minimum age of marriage from 18 to 21, as she believes "If they are educated, they can be and have whatever they want."
About the Author
Prakriti S is a foodie, wildlife photographer, geo-politics enthusiast, and a woman activist.
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