Repetition rate- Primary Boys Girls 23.9 24.5 23.3 24.5 25.1 23.9 Table 12: Equity Indicators- Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary enrolment Gender Parity Index (GPI) for secondary enrolment Percentage of SNE students (Primary) Percentage of SNE students (Secondary) 2017 1.01 2018 1.0 0.90 0.92 2.9 3.35 1.6 1.6 Table 13: Budgetary and Expenditure- Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Education budget as a percentage of national Budget Primary education budget as a percentage of total education budget Secondary education budget as a percentage of total education budget Higher Education 2017 26 2018 26 61 65 15 12 20.0 20 Article 18(3) - Protection of the Rights of Women and Children 192 The Constitution of Malawi in section 23 and 24 entrenches specific provisions on the rights of children and women respectively. The constitutional amendment of 2016 raised the age of the child from 16 to 18 as well as abolition of child marriages. The amendment was done in line with the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Currently the Government is undertaking a process to harmonize all laws on the definition of the child. 71