Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
CHIEFS from Matabeleland North and key stakeholders will gather in Lupane on Monday for the “Not in My Village” campaign — an initiative aimed at strengthening the role of traditional leaders in combating HIV/Aids and child marriages.
Organised by the National Aids Council (NAC), the campaign provides a vital platform for chiefs and community leaders to share strategies to halt the spread of HIV/Aids and address the social issues fuelling the epidemic within their com munities.
Launched last year as a pilot in Mashonaland Central, “Not in My Village” is now being rolled out across additional provinces, including Matabeleland North. The campaign promotes community-driven, inclusive approaches to fighting HIV/Aids while tackling critical challenges such as teenage pregnancies and child marriages, which rob children of their childhood, education, health, and future prospects.
In Matabeleland North, child marriages are driven by a complex mix of poverty, entrenched gender norms, cultural and religious beliefs, and limited access to essential services and information.
The campaign’s objectives include increasing awareness among traditional leaders and the public on the causes and impacts of child marriage, shifting community attitudes, championing the rights and welfare of girls, empowering communities to prevent and respond to child marriage, and supporting the enforcement of laws protecting girls from early marriage.
“Not in My Village” forms part of NAC’s broader strategy to ensure that no one and no place is left behind in the fight to eradicate HIV/Aids and related social challenges.
Disturbing statistics from NAC highlight the urgency of the campaign. Among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19, 23 percent have experienced sexual violence, 17 percent have given birth, and another 17 percent are currently pregnant.
Nine percent suffer from sexually transmitted infections. Girls with disabilities face even greater risks, with 40 to 70 percent reporting sexual abuse by the age of 18.
The HIV/Aids burden on young women remains alarmingly high, with adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 experiencing an HIV incidence rate 7,3 times higher than boys in the same age group.
In response, the Government, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has championed the “Not in My Village” campaign.
Recently, the Government allocated US$17 million to kick-start youth empowerment projects; however, concerns remain that child mothers and pregnant girls resulting from child marriages may be excluded from these benefits.
