The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) has petitioned Parliament calling for an inquiry into the country’s failure to curb child marriage warning that thousands of girls remain unprotected despite strong laws on the books.
The petition, presented today by the coalition represents more than 2 000 women’s rights activists and 86 organisations accuses the state of critical implementation gaps in enforcing Section 3 of the Marriages Act which criminalises child marriage and associated practices.
Although Zimbabwe legally set the minimum marriage age at 18 in 2022, the coalition notes that 34% of girls are still married before turning 18 with rates rising to 50% in Mashonaland Central.
Rural poverty, limited education and harmful traditional and religious practices particularly within some Apostolic sects remain the major drivers.
The petition urges Parliament, under its constitutional oversight role to establish a time-bound inquiry into how the Marriages Act has been implemented since its enactment.
It demands detailed data on arrests, investigations, prosecutions and convictions insisting that authorities have not been transparent about enforcement.
WCoZ says that although child marriage is criminalised, law enforcement and the judiciary lack training and resources while cultural resistance continues to shield perpetrators.
The coalition also highlights that many cases involve unregistered customary unions a major loophole made worse by the lack of mandatory birth registration which makes it difficult to prove a child’s age in court.
The petition draws attention to a growing modern threat technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
Activists warn that online grooming, cyber-exploitation and non-consensual intimate imagery are increasingly pushing families to marry off girls in attempts to restore honour after digital abuse.
UNICEF guidance, referenced in the petition calls for survivor-centred approaches that avoid punishing victims and instead focus on protection, rehabilitation and swift removal of harmful online content.
Yet Zimbabwe lacks standardised notice and take-down procedures compelling social media companies to remove illegal material, allowing harmful images to circulate unchecked.
WCoZ also warns that penalties in the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act remain misaligned with the Marriages Act creating inconsistencies that could allow perpetrators to evade justice.
The coalition says child marriage efforts remain chronically underfunded with minimal financial support for awareness campaigns, safe spaces, child protection units and survivor services.
The petition frames child marriage as an urgent public health and human rights emergency.
Girls under 15 face maternal mortality rates five times higher than adult women and those married too young are nearly 50% more likely to experience intimate partner violence.
“This is not a lack of laws but it is a lack of enforcement,” the petition argues urging Parliament to demand accountability from ministries, the police and traditional leadership structures.
WCoZ is asking lawmakers to compel authorities to provide verified national prosecution statistics since 2022, a clear roadmap for aligning all related legislation, evidence of engagement with communities and traditional/religious leaders, a strategy addressing the link between digital exploitation and early marriage and guaranteed funding and staffing for child protection and survivor support
The coalition says Parliament must use its oversight mandate to ensure Zimbabwe meets its commitments under the Constitution, the SADC Model Law, the Maputo Protocol and the AU campaign to end child marriage.
“The laws exist. What is missing is their protection for the girl child.” read the petition
