adminSenior Reporter
THE International Women’s Day celebrations were held at Rukweza High School amid laud calls for the country to eradicate the twin evils of gender-based violence and early child marriage – blamed for compromising women’s chances of attaining their full potential. The Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey (MCIS) of 2014 reports that 32 percent of Zimbabwean women aged between 20 and 49 years were married before the ripe age of 18. Speaking at the occasion, Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Senator Eunice Sandi Moyo, said child marriages pose a serious threat to the girl child.
“The devastating effect of the scourge range from greater risk of pregnancy related complications such as obstetric fistula, risk of HIV infection to psychological, moral and spiritual trauma,” said Sen Moyo.
Sen Moyo hailed victims of early marriages – Ruvimbo Topodzi and Loveness Kadzuru – for their brevity in mounting a Constitutional Court application challenging the constitutionality of Section 22 of the Marriages Act, whose verdict has been widely viewed as a major milestone in the campaign to end child marriages.
“Concrete steps have to be taken in order for the objectives of the ruling to be achieved. A lot has to be done in terms of legislation, policy and implementation so as to buttress the objectives of the ruling,” said Sen Moyo.
“Women and the girl child are the major victims of gender-based violence.
The Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey showed that the prevalence of GBV stood at 47 percent among women. Studies have shown that only 13 percent of women who suffer violence seek help from the police and only a combined five percent of those sought help from a medical institution, social services or a lawyer,” said Sen Moyo.
She said the setting up of the Anti-Domestic Violence Council, provided for in the Anti-Domestic Violence Act, was meant to ensure effective implementation of the law.
Sen Moyo said rural women had potential to contribute to the economic development process.
“As rural women, the onus is upon us to be co-drivers and benefactors of Zimbabwe’s economic development process. It is important that we are recognised, not as vulnerable members of society in need of charity, but as a formidable force that needs to be released, empowered and massively invested in, to fulfil our potential and drive the country’s economic recovery,” said Sen Moyo.
Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Chris Mushohwe, Energy and Power Development Minister, Dr Samuel Undenge, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, Minister of Women Affairs, Cde Nyasha Chikwinya, several deputy ministers, MP, traditional leaders and senior Government and civil society leaders attended the commemorations held under the theme: Empowering women for sustainable economic growth.
This was the first time that the commemorations were held outside Harare.
“We could not continue holding the event in Harare because 80 percent of the women in Zimbabwe live in rural areas and we are taking the commemorations to the people,” said Cde Chikwinya.Cde Chikwinya’s ministry was instrumental in training rural women in better farming practices, value addition of their produce and rearing of small livestock such as goats, rabbits and indigenous chickens.
The ministry was also working with rural women to mitigate effects of climate change, the objective being to build their capacity and sensitise them on the use of environmentally friendly sources of energy such as biogas and solar.These help reduce deforestation, time wasted by women while collecting firewood, reduce global warming and ensure effective and convenient disposal of organic wastes.
Online Reporter