By Anyway Yotamu
The Forum for African Women Educationalists in Zimbabwe (FAWEZI) working in partnership with UNICEF Zimbabwe has launched a major campaign aimed at tackling child marriage, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence among adolescent girls in Chitungwiza and Chipinge districts.
The initiative, being implemented under the RISE project – Resilient, Innovative, Skilled and Empowered Girls is expected to reach at least 24 000 adolescent girls and a further 15 000 community members over a 15-month period.
Speaking at a two-day sensitisation workshop held in Chitungwiza recently, the acting Deputy Director for Local Government Services for Harare Metropolitan Province, Cynthia Chari reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending early child marriages, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence.
“This initiative has come at a critical moment, when adolescent girls continue to face serious challenges, including teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services,” Chari said.
She commended FAWEZI and UNICEF for convening the programme noting that it went beyond raising awareness by equipping girls with practical life skills, confidence and knowledge about available protection and support services.
The UNICEF-supported project is using a layered approach that integrates education, health and protection interventions with a particular focus on adolescent girls who are out of school.
Organisers say the programme is designed to confront long-standing gender inequalities in education including low participation of girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), high rates of early marriage, gender-based violence and school dropouts.
She also praised the programme’s multi-sectoral approach which has brought together government departments and agencies including Social Development, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the National AIDS Council, the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprise Development.
“Such collaboration is essential if we are to create safe, supportive and enabling environments for our children and young people,” she said urging adolescent girls to actively participate and make full use of the information shared.
Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, civic organisations and law enforcement agencies also attended the workshop.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Jane Mhlanga of Chitungwiza Central Hospital said access to accurate sexual and reproductive health and rights information was central to preventing teenage pregnancies and protecting girls’ health.
“Many cases of teenage pregnancy can be prevented if girls are empowered with correct information about their bodies, their rights and the services available to them. Health facilities offer confidential, youth-friendly services where girls can seek help without fear,” she said.
Official figures show that 65.9 percent of girls complete secondary education, compared with 70 percent of boys.
Girls also remain under-represented in STEM subjects, a gap often attributed to social norms, a lack of role models and limited access to gender-responsive teaching.
FAWEZI and UNICEF say the RISE programme is expected to increase awareness on the prevention of child marriage and other harmful practices, improve the use of sexual and reproductive health services, strengthen confidence and decision-making among adolescent girls and improve reporting and referral of child protection and gender-based violence cases.
