United Nations experts have raised alarm over the escalating rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Zimbabwe warning that despite constitutional protections, thousands of girls continue to face systemic discrimination and abuse.
Addressing journalists in Harare, the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls revealed that at least 1.4 million women in Zimbabwe were married before the age of 18, with 241 000 of those married before 15.
“Our experts expressed concern about the prevalence of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. 1.4 million women in Zimbabwe were married before age 18, and 241,000 before 15,” the group said.
While the Marriages Act of 2022 criminalises child marriage and sets 18 as the legal minimum age for marriage, the UN experts say no prosecutions have been recorded to date.
Teenage pregnancy rates remain alarmingly high at 23%, with 43% of adolescents becoming sexually active before 18.
Girls seeking reproductive health services often face stigma, misinformation about parental consent and poor access to youth-friendly care.
The UN Working Group raised further concerns about young girls being forced to drop out of school due to early marriage or pregnancy, threatening their long-term wellbeing and independence.
“The Working Group urged the Government to upscale, resource, and implement targeted interventions for girls, especially those who are from low-income and rural backgrounds, pregnant, married, or otherwise marginalised, and combat discriminatory attitudes within families and communities that undervalue girls’ education,” the group said.
“Despite the Government’s efforts, persistent discrimination and entrenched patriarchal norms continue to deny girls their fundamental rights and limit their future opportunities,” it added.
Quoting one of their local interlocutors, the group stressed: “In Zimbabwe, gender equality is not a choice, it is a constitutional obligation.”
The experts also noted that gender-based violence risks were being compounded by a growing drug and substance abuse crisis among young men in some provinces.
They called for increased anti-GBV campaigns, law enforcement training in trauma-informed practices and better funding for shelters and One-Stop Centres which they described as “essential services and a core State responsibility.”
“Gender equality is not a zero-sum goal—men and boys also stand to benefit significantly from a more just and equal society,” the group said.
The Working Group concluded by urging the Government to embed gender equality as a “societal value” and invest in human rights education.
“Gender equality must be more than a promise on paper—it must become a lived reality for every woman and girl in Zimbabwe,” they said.
The Working Group’s final report on Zimbabwe will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2026.
