Spread This NewsAPA News United Nations experts have called on Zimbabwe to take urgent action against child marriage and teenage pregnancy, warning that entrenched patriarchal norms continue to undermine the rights and futures of millions of girls. Concluding a formal visit, the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls urged the government to invest in girls’ education, safety and rights, stating that gender equality must become a “lived reality” rather than a constitutional aspiration. “Gender equality must be more than a promise on paper – it must become a lived reality for every woman and girl in Zimbabwe,” the group said. The experts noted that despite the government’s efforts, “persistent discrimination and entrenched patriarchal norms continue to deny girls their fundamental rights and limit their future opportunities. ” “Zimbabwe must actively confront and eradicate patriarchal attitudes that undervalue girls, creating a society which nurtures their potential as future leaders, innovators and changemakers.
” Despite the enactment of the Marriages Act (2022), which criminalises child marriage and sets 18 as the legal minimum age, no prosecutions have been recorded. The experts revealed that 1. 4 million women in Zimbabwe were married before age 18 and 241,000 before 15. Teenage pregnancy remains high at 23 percent, with 43 percent of adolescents becoming sexually active before 18. The experts noted that girls face stigma, misinformation and limited access to youth-friendly reproductive health services, while many are forced to leave school, “undermining their long-term well-being and independence.
” They also raised alarm over child sexual abuse and gender-based violence, particularly affecting girls left behind by migrant parents, those with disabilities and members of religious sects. Calling for stronger enforcement and public awareness, the working group urged the Harare authorities to expand trauma-informed training for law enforcement and the judiciary, and to adequately fund shelters and one-stop centres, which they described as “essential services and a core state responsibility. ” The experts stressed the need to ensure that gender equality is embraced as a societal value that benefits all. “Gender equality is not a zero-sum goal – men and boys also stand to benefit significantly from a more just and equal society,” they said. The final report of the visit will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2026.
Original Source: Newzimbabwe Read Full Article at Source This article was aggregated by AllZimNews.com from trusted Zimbabwean news sources
