The Zambian government should do more to protect schoolgirls who are being married off because learning institutions have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the director of an umbrella civil society body dealing with womens' rights and gender issues has told the BBC.

Engwase Mwale from Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council (NGOCC) blamed a lack of stringent laws to protect girls.

“There is therefore need to strengthen laws that will stop this scourge. Partly, child marriages have been on the increase because of the conflict in the laws,” Ms Mwale said.

Her comments follows a story in state-owned Zambia Daily Mail quoting Chief Chikanta of the Tonga tribe in Kalomo in the southern region, saying girls between the age of 13 and 17 were being married.

“With the closure of schools due to COVID-19, we have seen a lot of girls trying to go into marriages, they are instead abandoning school and choosing marriage. Just in the past four days, I have received about three elopement cases,” Chief Chikanta said.

The traditional leader said he was engaging the affected families to ensure that the practice is stopped to allow the girls to focus on education.