…citing serious loopholes in the judgement
Women from all works of life who convened yesterday for the belated World Health day commemorations held in Mbare have condemned the January 20 constitutional court ruling, which prohibits child marriages saying it has serious loopholes.
This comes after Concourt struck off statutes in Section 22(1) of the Marriage Act, which for decades, allowed children under the age of 18 to formally get married.
The judgement however creates a grey area where a girl who is 17 can lawfully have sex.
Commenting on the loopholes that comes with ruling at the belated World Health day Commemorations hosted by Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, scores of women said that is immoral for children to legally consent to sex at such a tender age.
“The idea of allowing children to have sex at 17 is a very bad and the constitution must be amended,” said Spelile Zvidzwa, who hails from Mbare.
She added that for Zimbabwe to succeed in fighting against early child marriages, children must not be allowed to have sex before the age of 18.
Another woman who spoke on conditions of anonymity said the constitution clearly labels a child as someone under the age of 18.
“If the constitution notes a child as someone who is 18 years and below, why then allowing someone to indulge in sexual activities at the age of 16,” she queried.
She added that indulging in sexual activities result in marriage.
Speaking at that event, Policy and Advocacy for Women Coalition of Zimbabwe, Poshia Kurima said that, early marriages have implications on the physical and mental well-being of children.
“We are saying if a child indulges into sexual activities at a tender age it causes implications to that child’s health,” she said.
She added that parents should not force and facilitate the marriage of their children at a tender age.
She also encouraged youth not to indulge into sexual activities saying that such deeds result in unwanted pregnancies as well as Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Medecins Sans Frontiers, ( MSF) Nurse counsellor at Mbare Clinic, Penwilda Mundida urged children sexually abused children to visit a clinic for help.
“If a child is raped, she should visit a clinic within 3 days,” she said
She also encouraged parents not to marry their child only because that child is impregnated.
