Fellows: Peter Benny Mchenga and Konemi Makupe

Grant Year: 2019

Location: TA Nchilemwera, Malawi

Organization: Child Protection and Education Support Organization (CHIPESO)

Project title: Advocating for Ending Child Marriages Through Implementation of Readmission Policy

Project summary: In the past year, 110 girls dropped out of school because they were pregnant in TA Nchilemwera of Thyolo, and many of these girls entered early marriages as a result. Girls who attempt to return to school after giving birth share stories of discrimination and stigma at their schools that cause them to drop out of school permanently. Within the Malawi Youth Policy and amended Re-Admission Policy, a girl who has become pregnant cannot be pushed out of school and is allowed to return to school after she gives birth. However, these policies do not protect girls from discrimination and ridicule when they try to return to school.

 To protect girls’ rights and increase girls’ access to education, CHIPESO will advocate with the Traditional Authority Nchilemwera, the Group Village Heads, the Primary Education Advisors and Director of Education Services in Thyolo to improve implementation of the Re-Admission Policy by creating a bylaw that outlines an implementation plan in all schools across the TA to protect the rights of over 10,000 girls to education.