By Moses Magadza in Lusaka, Zambia

The first of a series of public lectures in honour of Chief Theresa Kachindamoto of Malawi took place on Monday in Zambia, with Zambian lawmaker Dr Christopher Kalila urging governments, traditional authorities, lawmakers and civil society across the SADC region to draw inspiration from the courage, conviction and practical strategies of the late Chief.

Delivering a public lecture in her honour at the University of Zambia on Monday, Dr Kalila, who is also the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, said the region stands to learn powerful lessons from the Chief’s uncompromising crusade to eradicate child marriage.

He described her as “a leader who refused to look away when girls’ futures were being stolen.”

The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with funding from Sweden and in collaboration with the National Assembly of Zambia, the University of Zambia’s School of Law, CARE International, and other partners, convened the public lecture.

Dr Kalila opened his lecture with a poignant recollection from the Chief’s early life that he said shaped her destiny.

“When Chief Theresa Kachindamoto was still a young girl, she saw a 13-year-old child with a child,” he recounted.

“The sight of a child with another child… had a profound impact on the young Princess and strengthened her resolve to one day make a difference.”

That early experience, he said, ignited a lifelong determination to protect girls from harmful practices that had become normalised in her community.

Dr Kalila said as soon as she ascended to her role as leader of a vast chiefdom with more than 50 chiefs, Chief Kachindamoto turned her resolve into action.

“What are some of the things that she did which have inspired many people and which we can emulate?” Dr Kalila asked.

He listed her first major legacy – uncompromising passion backed by visible action.

“It is reported that she would sometimes move around her village looking for child brides,” he said. He added, “Working with a team of elderly mothers, she was able to rescue many child brides… and over the years, we are told that she annulled about 3,500 child marriages.”

In some instances, she annulled these marriages publicly to signal seriousness and deter similar practices.

According to Dr Kalila, rescuing girls was only the beginning. The Chief insisted that every rescued girl return to school and she mobilised support for their education.

“She firmly believed that educating a girl was tantamount to educating a whole nation,” Dr Kalila said. “She believed that with education, anything was possible for any girl.”

He urged governments to follow suit by creating practical pathways for girls to return to school after rescue.

Chief Kachindamoto understood that action without rules would not be sustainable. Dr Kalila praised her for building a strong local legal framework to reinforce her mission.

“She pronounced bylaws in her chiefdom,” he said. “She prohibited sub-chiefs or headmen from allowing or presiding over child marriages. Those who did not listen were sacked.”

Her firm stance demonstrated the importance of sanctions and the courage to enforce them, he noted.

“She provided leadership. This is particularly important… She punished those who went against good practices. She dethroned errant leaders. Leadership and sanctions are important.”

Dr Kalila, a long-standing member of the SADC PF’s Sweden-funded SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, linked the Chief’s approach to the broader obligations of modern parliaments.

“For us as Members of Parliament today, we must put in place laws that would prevent child marriage,” he said. “Those laws and policies must, of course, be implemented.”

He highlighted the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage, developed with the participation of the late Chief, as a guiding regional tool.

“We rely on research data to push for implementation or development of laws,” he added and stressed that partnership with civil society is vital.

The Chief, he said, recognised that legislation must be accompanied by community mobilisation.

“She realised that it was not good enough to simply rescue girls… She used community meetings to create awareness,” Dr Kalila noted.

Given that child marriage is deeply rooted in social norms, he stressed that solutions must be multi-sectoral.

“There is no panacea for child marriage, and no one can end it alone,” he emphasised. “We must collaborate with religious and traditional leaders… civil society organisations, the media, policymakers, international partners and so forth.”

Dr Kalila also highlighted an often-overlooked lesson from the Chief’s work – verifying the age of girls and women before marriage ceremonies.

“She insisted on identifying and verifying the age of any woman who wanted to get married,” he said. “It is therefore important at national level… that we support birth registration to ensure that every birth is recorded.”

Dr Kalila stressed the importance of political leadership at national and regional levels.

“To end child marriage, we need to work together. We need strong leadership,” he said, applauding Zambia’s own commitments. “In Zambia, we are happy that our President, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, is a champion under the AU on ending child marriage. Leadership is particularly important. Without political will and support, nothing can be achieved.”

Dr Kalila revealed that Chief Kachindamoto had been earmarked for an honorary doctorate in recognition of her life’s work and unwavering courage.

Through her example, he said, the region can learn that ending child marriage requires passion, enforcement, education, collaboration and above all, leadership that refuses to compromise on the rights of children.

• Dr. Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.