Protect girls from child marriage
Our new project in cooperation with Plan International is intended to prevent child marriage in Zimbabwe – this time in a different region in the interior of the country.
In June 2023 we renewed our commitment in Zimbabwe and are supporting a project to empower girls! This time the project is located in the interior of the country, in Kwekwe in the Midlands Province region (see map). Kwekwe is now the centre of gold mining in Zimbabwe and has over 100,000 inhabitants.
With access to education and vocational prospects for the future, we strengthen the independence and self-confidence of young girls. Through awareness-raising and violence prevention, we call on adults in the community to take responsibility, uphold children’s rights and not tolerate sexual abuse.
Child marriage is gender-based violence – fundamentally rooted in gender inequality: many girls therefore do not have a childhood and may be exposed to ongoing violence. Forced marriage and child marriage occur more frequently in rural regions: 40 per cent of girls here are married before the age of 18, while in urban regions the figure is almost half lower (source: Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey MICS 2019).
According to the UNICEF report, the Midlands Province area, where the project region of Kwekwe is located, ranks fifth in terms of the frequency of child marriage – in this region, 31 per cent of girls are married before the age of 18.
The reasons lie mainly in the lack of prospects and the all-pervading poverty, which is due to mostly informal employment opportunities and allows for no income security. Parents often do not know how they are supposed to pay the school fees that arise – as a result, it is common for a girl to drop out of school too early and be married off so that these costs no longer have to be met.
Due to poverty and lack of education, awareness of health risks is also low: many young people are not sexually educated and are left to fend for themselves, as those around them have also not received sexual education. The risk of sexual exploitation and abuse is therefore high. In addition, the risk of exploitation increases because of the high youth unemployment in the Kwekwe region – young people may fall into prostitution at an early age or marry early because of economic factors.
That is why it is our concern to explain children’s rights and youth protection laws in workshops and advisory services to the community, parents, teachers and school leaders in the Kwekwe region – to protect girls and boys.
Specific measures planned:
Training for teachers and head teachers on sexual education
We provide girls at risk of child marriage and early pregnancy with high-quality education and inclusive support: from the age of 10-19, school clubs will be set up to provide sexual education and explain gender-sensitive information on „Sexual and reproductive health and rights“ (SRHR). This includes the right to access health services in the area of sexuality and reproduction, the right to information and education about sexuality, and the right to decide for themselves about pregnancy. These rights are human rights that apply equally to all people.
Leadership skills of young women are promoted: each project year, a group of young women will take part in a six-month programme in which they will be trained in SRHR, campaign implementation and advocacy.
We are in contact with the young people in many areas in order to strengthen awareness of their own rights, health and cohesion among young people. We reach them best when they can do their favourite activities. So we offer the following activities:
Youth education through sport: Through sporting activities such as netball, football and volleyball, the sense of community and the commitment of young people for young people is strengthened. In addition, sexual and reproductive health and rights are discussed in group discussions.
Youth education through theatre and music: In our established youth groups, which focus on acting and making music, we also provide information on SRGR. In addition, the local partner Katswe Sistahood works with nearby clinics and enables access to contraceptives, HIV tests and referrals for treatment, STI screenings, support with menstrual hygiene and cancer screening.
For people particularly affected by gender-based violence, we distribute service vouchers and provide temporary accommodation where they can stay safely.
Insights from the already implemented project on preventing child marriage and early pregnancies in the province of Manicland we use and organise visits there to highlight the factors influencing child marriage.
Provision of professional start-up kits for young people
A fund improves access to the formal labour market: this secures girls’ and young women’s livelihoods in the long term and helps them break out of the cycle of poverty. Through training in basic life skills and the promotion of entrepreneurial thinking and action, we strengthen the economic independence and self-confidence of the girls. Business ideas put forward by the girls are also realised through this fund.
Training of local community leaders on child marriage legislation, child protection and access to education
Traditional and local authorities are trained on national and regional legal provisions on child marriage, child protection and access to education. Child protection committees raise awareness of child marriage and support legislation on education and marriage laws. The project takes into account that traditional authorities influence people’s attitudes towards SRGR and gender-based violence and can therefore help change negative social norms.
Involvement of political decision-makers and traditional authorities in the form of policy dialogues
We want to improve support structures for young girls who are threatened by child marriage or who have already experienced it. In order to change these structures sustainably, people from different areas must be involved in educational and awareness-raising work – cooperation with local authorities is therefore enormously important in order to create effective change. We achieve this through working with the government to take measures for at-risk girls and young women and implement them promptly. This can reduce the influence of the large informal sector. Through discussion groups with Katswe Sistahood – „A world of powerful young women wirh agency to effect meaningful change“ – traditional authorities are empowered to respond to gender-based violence.
EMPOWERING GIRLS IN ZIMBABWE
If you also think this sustainable project is worth supporting and would like to help girls through education and strengthening their self-confidence and mutual solidarity, you can do so here:
Photos © Plan International and Stiftung Hilfe mit Plan
