Malawi:

“Negative cultural practices, which unfortunately, are widespread, have been the major contributing factor in preventing girls from receiving an education.

For instance, it is believed that girls will gain respect if they marry early and have children. In Malawi, approximately 17 percent of girls drop out of school as a result of forced marriages, and schools are not safe for girls due to sexual abuse by male teachers and men at large.

In extreme cases, the girls are subjected to the “tsempho” belief. Parents will have their daughters married young as they fear that they will become pregnant outside marriage and have an abortion. This, according to the tsempho belief, will bring death to the family.