Table 2 Policies reviewed for this study
Authors/Policy Sector Origins | Year | Policy Title | Policy Issues Relevant to the Study |
|---|---|---|---|
Ministry of Education | 1996 | Educating Our Future | This policy guides implementation of education in Zambia, highlights how social and economic challenges affect progression of pupils and integration of SRHR related strategies into the educational systems. |
Ministry of Education | 1997 | Re-Entry Policy | This policy stresses the significance of re-engaging girls who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy and parenting to return to the education system. |
Ministry of Education | 2011 | Education Act | The policy promotes education by prohibiting marriages among learners and supports integration of SRHR related education into the school system |
Ministry of Education | 2014 | Comprehensive Sexuality Education | The framework acts as a guide on how schools can integrate SRHR, GBV, HIV, respect, values, and life skills into various key career subjects. |
Ministry of Health | 2017-2021 | Adolescent Health Strategy | The policy focuses on strengthening the delivery of adolescent responsive health services, to increase adolescent access and utilization of quality health care leading to improved SRH and the reduction of HIVAIDS, and promotion of healthy living among adolescents. Scales up implementation of comprehensive sexuality education. |
Ministry of Health | 2022 | HIV Counselling Testing Guidelines | The policy provides for age of consent at which a person can access HIV services on their own. |
Ministry of Gender | 2011 | Anti-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Act | The policy highlights various GBV cases including sexual violence, child marriage, and abuse. |
Ministry of Justice | 1918 | Marriage Act | Law exempts all marriages under any African customary law from the minimum age of marriage requirements (normally 21 years) under the law. |
Sections 17 and 34 of Zambia’s Marriage Act |  | Customary Law | The law does not provide a minimum age of consent to marry under Zambian customary law as current customary practice allows any girl who has attained puberty to get married. |
Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia | 2012 | Penal Code Act | The Act guides on how to handle crimes on GBV, sexual violence, child abuse (child pregnancy and marriages). Any person who commits the offence of rape is liable to imprisonment for life. The act criminalizes same sex sexual relationships and marriages. |
Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia | 1972/1994 | The Termination of Pregnancy Act | Decriminalizes abortion in cases when the pregnancy would have involved a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or child greater than if the pregnancy were terminated |
Ministry of Justice | 2021 | Zambia Law and Development Commission | A girl is considered capable of marrying at puberty although some ethnic groups allow a longer period for a girl to be more mature. On the other hand, a boy is considered ready for marriage once he grows a beard and shows an ability to do work that can support a wife, children and other members of the family. Customary marriages are potentially polygamous [4]. |