LUSAKA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday appointed a new gender minister and urged her to ensure that child marriages are reduced to zero.
Lungu appointed Elizabeth Phiri as the new gender minister following the death of the previous minister Victoria Kalima in June.
In remarks delivered when he swore in the new minister, who is also a governing party lawmaker, the Zambian leader urged her to help the government seriously address the numerous gender issues affecting the country such as early marriages and gender-based violence.
"It is my sincere hope that you will take keen interest in the issues of women empowerment programs through clubs and cooperatives to bring to fruition our party's vision of empowering the less privileged," he said.
Zambia has over the years been experiencing the problem of child marriages involving girls below the age of 18, especially in rural areas.
The country has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world, with 42 percent of women aged 20 and 24 years married before 18.
