Vusumuzi DubeSharon Chimenya, Masvingo Correspondent
THE continued rise in cases of teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence (GBV) has become a pandemic and women need to come together to protect the girlchild, a cabinet minister has said.
In her speech in Masvingo recently, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said women should act like queen bees that protect their own when they sense danger.
“Another area that is disturbing the Ministry is gender-based violence which has become a pandemic especially child marriages and teenage pregnancies. Young girls from 11-18 years are getting married. Women, this is a challenge. We, as women need to come together and protect our girls. Someone said that a girl child is like honey so we as women must be queen bees. Can anyone just go in the bee hive and take honey? You will be stung. Let us sting madzimai and protect the girl child,” she said.
Dr Nyoni said if women were to stand together and fight against child marriages and teenage pregnancies, men would think twice before abusing the girls.
“Anyone who wants to get to the girl child must get a sting. Once we do that, I am sure that the men will think twice. Let us work together to bring this pandemic to an end. We should all guard against this and ought to work together to reduce such incidences. This has retarded our efforts to empower women and the girlchild as well as promotion of gender equality. Please play your part in ending GBV,” she said.
Online Reporter