By AFP More by this AuthorSchool closures in Malawi due to the coronavirus pandemic have led to an alarming increase in child marriages and early pregnancies, child rights activists and government officials warned on Monday. Civil Society Coalition on Education director Benedicto Kondowe told AFP that the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the course of young women's lives. He pointed out that before the pandemic struck, Malawi already had one of the highest rates of child marriages in the world. Advertisement"Ever since schools closed to help combat the spread of Covid-19, remote areas have reported an increase in child marriages," he said. Alindiamawo blamed parents and guardians for failing to provide proper guidance to their children during the period in which they have been out of school.

Source: Daily Nation July 28, 2020 03:33 UTC