Malawi's First Female Ngoni Ends Child Marriage

Chief Theresa Kachindamoto is the first female Chief of the Dedza district in Malawi. She comes from a long lineage of Ngoni chiefs - revered, powerful, and wealthy. The title of Chief runs in her family, and the position attracts immense respect among the Ngoni tribe. Her father, the late Ngoni, ensured that Theresa received an education because he understood its importance and had the financial means. Theresa later attained the role of Ngoni Chief in her village, giving authority over 900,000 people. In this role, she decided to devote her life to abolishing child marriages in Malawi and has successfully achieved this goal. In the past three years alone, she has ended over 850 child marriages.

This tremendous success can be attributed to this region's desperate efforts for change.

Countries like Malawi have high fertility rates, which leads to a large population. When countries can't provide for large populations, communities resort to archaic practices impeding young people's development. Fueled by poverty and illiteracy, practices like child marriages are reestablished in societies that are trying to embrace modern practices and progress with the world. Therefore, young girls fall victim to this vicious cycle as they repopulate their poverty-stricken country and have no skills to provide for their new families due to a lack of education, and the cycle continues. Chief Theresa was committed to ending child marriages, which are detrimental to the well-being of Malawi as a whole. UNICEF underscores how it will take another 300 years to abolish child marriage around the world entirely but praises Malawi for finally abolishing child marriages and funding schools.

Malawi Empowering Women in Politics

Chief Theresa Kachindamoto continues to empower girls as a role model and the first female leader to change Malawi's society drastically. For example, she has changed the laws to ensure girls remain in school. According to the United Nations, having a female leader in Malawi empowers girls to succeed in politics and reduces the gender disparity in higher roles.

"Educate a girl, and you educate the whole area… You educate the world." –Thersa Kachindamoto

Girls Across Borders commends Chief Kachindamoto for her courage, for advancing gender equality, and for protecting girls' rights.