Muchaneta Chimuka
Tapiwa Zvinashe (25) (not her real name) was just 16 when she was married off to Mr Muyambo (54), a member of the apostolic sect, who already had three wives.
The marriage was facilitated by the older women in the church in accordance with their apostolic religious beliefs, where such unions are socially accepted.
However, under Zimbabwean law, marriage involving anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited.
Six months into the marriage, Tapiwa began experiencing persistent nausea and vomiting. Worried that she might be pregnant, she bought a pregnancy test from a pharmacy, which confirmed her fears.
“I was not prepared to get married or have a child because I had a long-time boyfriend of my age,” she said.
“So, I informed him about the issue, and he travelled to South Africa with me, where I had an abortion since the laws there are not restrictive.
“We decided not to return to Zimbabwe because the man and his wives were hunting for me. They even reported me as missing. Now I am happily married to my boyfriend, and we have a boy child.”
She applauded her husband for standing with her through thick and thin. Her case is almost similar to that of Chipo Denga (35) (not her real name), who fell pregnant after forgetting to take her contraceptives.
“Sometimes in 2010, I forgot to take my contraceptive pills, and I fell pregnant. I was ashamed because I was dating a married man, and when I told him the news, he suddenly blocked my calls,” she said.
“I was emotionally drained and I was not prepared to take care of the child, and I resorted to backyard abortion. The process was successful, but I later fell sick; that’s when I went to a private doctor, and the scan revealed that my cervix was already rotten and it was removed.”
Chipo is now unable to conceive and has been diagnosed with Asherman’s Syndrome caused by her unsafe abortion.
This is now taking a toll on her mentally and emotionally. She is now being labelled with all sorts of names like ‘Ngomwa’ and she becomes very emotional when she sees other women carrying their babies.
In Zimbabwe, there are so many cases like the above where women resort to clandestine abortion because the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977 only allows abortion in three circumstances: when the pregnancy came as a result of rape or incest, and if it is posing serious complications to the mother or the foetus.
However, there are some who fall in the above categories and those who don’t but are shy to seek the services due to fear of societal stigma, poor health-seeking behaviour, lack of knowledge, and above all fear of the unknown.
The International Day of the Girl 2026, commemorated on October 11 by the United Nations – with technical leadership of the UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women – together with Plan International, the Government of Zimbabwe, civil society, communities, partners, and young people across the country reaffirmed a collective commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of girls.
This year, the event was held under the theme: ‘End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights’.
The theme reaffirmed the Government’s shared commitment to ensuring that every girl can grow up safe, healthy, educated, empowered, and able to shape her own future.
UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Rosemary Kalapurakal, said it requires the whole society approach to end child marriage through the involvement of churches, Government, policy makers and civil society organisations, while noting that funding is required for each and every programme to prosper.
“As we celebrate progress made, we call for greater investment and accelerated action to ensure every girl can realise her rights and full potential.
“Zimbabwe has made important progress in advancing the rights and wellbeing of girls, yet too many continue to face barriers that limit their opportunities and undermine their futures.”
She said child marriage is any marriage or union involving a child under the age of 18 and has remained one of the most pressing challenges affecting girls in Zimbabwe.
“With an estimated one in three girls married before the age of 18. Teenage pregnancy also
continues to disrupt girls’ education and affect their health and wellbeing, with 23 percent of girls aged 15–19 having begun childbearing.”
She added that, behind these statistics are girls whose education is interrupted, whose health and wellbeing is put at risk, and whose opportunities to participate fully in society are constrained.
“Child marriage and teenage pregnancy violate girls’ rights to education, health, protection, body autonomy and participation,” she said.
“They perpetuate cycles of poverty, inequality and exclusion and increase girls’ vulnerability to violence and exploitation.
“When girls are married too early or face early pregnancies, communities lose future leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers.
“Ending child marriage and addressing teenage pregnancy are therefore not only moral imperatives, but also critical investments in Zimbabwe’s social and economic development.”
She said accelerating efforts to end child marriage is critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.3, which calls for the elimination of all harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage.
Working with the Government of Zimbabwe, the UN in Zimbabwe and Plan International
Zimbabwe, recognise that tackling these challenges requires more than legal and policy reforms.
“It requires sustained investment from Government, civil society, communities, development partners and the private sector in girls’ rights and opportunities,” she said.
“This means ensuring quality education and comprehensive health services; protecting girls
from violence and harmful practices; and expanding opportunities for leadership, civic participation, skills development and economic empowerment.”
She said girls must be at the centre of these efforts, and they should not merely be beneficiaries of development programmes but leaders, advocates, and agents of change.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana executive director, Mrs Ekenia Chifamba, said young women and girls should be given time to speak out on these issues.
“Their voices, experiences, priorities and aspirations must help shape the policies, programmes and investments that affect their lives,” she said.
“At the same time, we must collectively address the harmful social and gender norms that drive child marriage and teenage pregnancy, and restrict opportunities for girls.”
Education Coalition of Zimbabwe programmes manager Mrs Wadzanayi Chitiga said keeping girls in school will save them from early and unwanted pregnancies.
“Transformative change requires engaging parents and caregivers, traditional and religious leaders, boys and men, educators, communities, civil society organisations, development partners, and the private sector. Initiatives such as the “Not-in-My – Village” Campaign to End Adolescent Pregnancy, Not-In-My-School campaign and Prevention of Child Marriages and Child Labour initiative (PREaCH) demonstrate the importance of mobilising communities around these shared goals,” she said.
Padare/Enkundleni/Men’s Forum on Gender national director, Mr Walter Vengeisa, said men should be engaged when dealing with issues of rape and child marriage.
“If women continue to discuss those issues in isolation, it means the boy child and men who abuse or impregnate women will continue,” he said.
“The boy child is often left out in most programmes that concern them. We therefore call for equal participation.
“We are witnessing many cases of clandestine abortion just because the boy child is not informed and educated on the dos and don’ts.
“ We should educate our young boys to respect women, abstain from sex and above all, to use protection.”
Member of Parliament, Parliamentary Portfolio representing persons with disabilities, Senator Annah Shiri said women with disabilities are more vulnerable to Gender Based Violence (GBV).
“Due to their vulnerability, we are witnessing too many cases of GBV emanating from child marriage, rape, forced abortion and ritual killings. We call upon the Government and partners to provide adequate funding to such programmes and services that reach every girl, including the most vulnerable,” she said.
She urged communities to keep on challenging the norms and practices that lead to child marriage and teen pregnancies and supporting girls to stay in school
By ending child marriage, addressing adolescent pregnancy and investing in girls’ rights, communities invest in stronger families, more resilient communities and a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for all.
