Image depicting artwork against child marriage on the Eye Radio wall - Credit: Eye Radio/Adija

Community leaders in Central Equatoria State have adopted a work plan to end early child marriage and agreed to draft bylaws to strengthen their efforts against the practice, which they say is widespread in the state.

After a three-day conference in Juba, the council of chiefs and local administrators announced a comprehensive work plan to combat early child marriage.

The leaders discussed the underlying factors contributing to child marriage and identified key measures to address and mitigate the issue.

The conference, which included local leaders from Yei-River, Morobo, Kajo-Keji, Terekeka, Wonduruba Administrative Payam, and Juba counties, resulted in several important resolutions.

These include strengthening the state’s gender ministry by establishing gender departments in all counties, enhancing the prosecution of individuals involved in child marriage, and launching widespread awareness campaigns to educate communities about the negative impact of the practice.

Martin Simon Wani, Director General of the Ministry of Local Government, emphasized the urgent need for community leaders to act quickly and implement these resolutions to prevent the harmful consequences of early child marriage.

“You put down your plans, this is what we are going to do. If we fail to fulfil what we have agreed that we are going to do as a whole plan, then tomorrow the challenge will be on us,” said Simon.

“I believe you will work hard and I’m sure we’ll make a difference in our fight against early child marriage and harmful traditional practices,” he stated.

“It is good that we have known all the details of these things, these phenomena, the things that are disturbing our people,” he explained.

Joseph Brown, who represented chiefs from all counties, including Wonduruba Administrative Payam, described the conference as both fruitful and crucial for shaping the future of young people in the state.

He emphasized the importance of providing chiefs with a copy of the Child Act to properly orient them and equip them with the legal knowledge needed to address child marriage and protect the rights of children in their communities.

“We need the provision of constitutions to guide us as a chief. For example, we have a local government act which the majority of us don’t have. Chiefs are just using their wisdom,” Brown stated.

“It is very important that we, the local government, try our best to give us these tools so that we can work with them. Also, the child act. We need this constitution to guide us. We are very glad for this very important conference,” he said.