Online Reporter
Muchaneta Chimuka
A 14-year-old girl from Murewa was forced into marriage after she fell pregnant last year and eloped with her husband, who is also underage, and she is now struggling to look after their baby.
The girl’s mother, whom we shall call Mrs Tendai, revealed this sad ordeal to this publication in a telephone interview.
“My daughter eloped at the age of 14, and by then she was in grade 7 and had to drop out of school due to pregnancy,” she said.
“I parted ways with her father when she was one year old; before they went to stay in Mvurwi, her stomach was growing big.
“She was questioned, and she revealed that she had been intimate with her boyfriend, who is aged 17, and she eloped.”
Mrs Tendai stays in Goromonzi under headman Rusike and Chief Svosve and has since remarried.
She said she is saddened by the fact that her child was married off at a tender age and she ended up giving birth.
“The elders only realised that she was pregnant when the pregnancy was already six months; hence it was too late for an abortion,” she said.
“I’m quite angry about her father, who consented to receiving US$50 as a lobola token and a blanket, which they termed as “Tsvakirai Kuno”
“He did not even bother about our daughter’s welfare, and at one time she experienced gender-based violence when her husband kicked her in the stomach after she refused to hand over the keys, and due to anger, my daughter took some tobacco herbicides, hoping to end her life and was admitted at a local clinic for two days.”
She said she was lucky to be alive because she could have simply died together with the unborn baby.
Mrs Tendai said she only got to know about the lobola rites via a message that was sent by her former husband.
“My former husband (name withheld to protect the identity of the minor) is the one who sent the message informing me that part of the lobola money was paid for US$50 and a blanket,” she said.
“He said the in-laws informed him that the same amount was also meant for knowing each other, “Kuzivana and Masungiro,” and they intended to dump our daughter thereafter,” she said.
She said this did not go according to their plans, as their daughter decided to return to her husband’s house after giving birth, and the baby is now two months old.
“This is a sad development because I wanted to make sure that my daughter returned to school and I would take care of her child,” she said.
“I also want the people who facilitated her hand marriage to be arrested. Some child rights organisations recently called, and they said they are working with the police to make sure that the culprits are brought to book.
“My major worry is that my daughter is threatening to commit suicide, if she is not allowed to stay with her husband.”
Several young girls are falling into this trap due to lack of access to SRHR services and lack of knowledge too, since they are often regarded as “tools for the adults”.
Former Director of Women’s Action Group, Mrs Edinah Masiyiwa, said young people are indulging in sexual activities far more than adults, and they need great support to reduce teen pregnancies, suicide cases, unsafe abortions, infanticide, gender-based violence, among other social ills.
“The pregnancy may only be legally terminated under the 1977 Act if it meets one of these conditions: Health risk, continuation of the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life or threatens permanent impairment of her physical health and foetal abnormality,” she said.
“Other cases are where there is a serious risk that the child will suffer from a permanent, severe physical or mental defect, unlawful intercourse and is the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.
“In this case, this 14-year-old girl fit into the rape category because it is a crime to have intimate relations with children under the age of majority that is 18.”
She said she was, however, unlucky because her pregnancy was discovered at six months, which makes it impossible since the law only allows abortion at 20 weeks and it should be done under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) remains committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), gender equality and youth empowerment and has witnessed significant strides in reducing maternal mortality through expanding family planning and strengthening gender-based violence response.
Ms Miranda Tabifor, the UNFPA Country Representative, said that through their strategic partnership with Zimbabwe and other development partners, civil society and communities, they will continue to play a pivotal role in delivering life services, shaping policies and driving advocacy to ensure that no one is left behind.
“Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Gender – based violence has continued to threaten the well–being of women and girls, with those in rural areas significantly disadvantaged. Innovation is at the heart of UNFPA Zimbabwe’s mission to advance SHRH and GBV.
“Through innovations such as the “Not – In – My – Village” Campaign, we are working to address the challenge of adolescent pregnancy in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana’s executive director, Ms Ekenia Chifamba, said young people should utilise the One Stop Centres and Youth Friendly Clinics (both mobile and static) to receive counselling, SRHR services, including contraceptives.
“We have few Youth Friendly corners and One Stop Centres where women and men can get assistance,” she said.
“We hope for the expansion of such services to all corners of the nation such that we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 and to support our national efforts to achieve universal access to reproductive health services and eliminate maternal deaths, unwanted and unplanned pregnancies, end gender-based violence and empower young people to lead healthy and productive lives.”
She said if the 14–year–old girl had had access to contraceptives once it was noticed that she was sexually active, she could have prevented this unwanted pregnancy.
