The revised policy augurs well with Plan International Malawi’s work on promoting girls’ education, and advocating for girls’ admission into both primary and secondary schools.

Country Director for Plan International Malawi, Phoebe Kasoga, believes that every child need to access quality education.

“Plan International believes that education should be available and accessible to all children on the basis of equal opportunity and non-discrimination. Every child must be able to access and complete an inclusive, quality pre-primary, primary and secondary education in order to meet global commitments,” said Kasoga.

The newly launched revised policy is a step in the right direction as it incorporates various education and gender aspects related to Malawi, including the Constitution.

The policy is also aligned to International protocols and national goals and policies namely: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MDGS III 2017 – 2021), the National Gender and Education Policies plus various UN conventions on children’s rights.

Thus, Plan International is calling on stakeholders to join hands with the Malawi Government in popularizing and translating the revised Readmission Policy to be well understood and embraced by all communities across the country.“We call upon parents, School Management Committees and traditional leaders to give schools the necessary support in handling re-admissions and ask schools to sensitize teachers to ensure zero discrimination against readmitted girls,” emphasized, Kasoga.

Plan International has been working with key stakeholders and communities in Malawi to end child marriages.

“ We recognize that girls who become mothers at a young age, or who are subjected to child marriages can face complex economic, emotional and psychosocial challenges. However, the right to continue with their education should not be one of those challenges.”

Since 2016, Plan International Malawi has been implementing a project called 18+ Ending Child Marriage empowers girls’ decision making, solicits community support towards girls’ education and advocates for an enabling legal framework and policies favourable for girls’ rights, particularly the right to education.

This project has managed to re-admit about 1,500 girls who dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy and child marriage in both primary and secondary schools in the areas of T/A Mkanda and Juma in Mulanje District.

Additionally, Senior Chief Kachindamoto has been unveiled as Plan International Malawi’s ambassador in ending child marriage during this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child which falls on October 11, globally.