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Herald Reporter
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Government on the passage of the legislation which raises the age of consent to sexual activities to 18 years.
The legislation effectively criminalises sexual relations of adults with children and is expected to contribute to a reduction of sexual abuse of children.
UNICEF country representative Dr Tajudeen Oyewale said the legislation had come to complement the amendments to the Marriages Act that prohibit the marriage of anyone less than the age of 18.
“We as UNICEF see these two legislations as critical legal instruments that will come towards ensuring that our children especially the adolescent girls are safe and protected. Together with the Government, partners, donors, parents and community, our resolution towards ensuring a safe environment for our children is absolute and we appreciate the opportunity that we have with this improvement in the legislative environment,” he said.
Available data suggest that in Zimbabwe, over a third of girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18 years. For most of these girls, the perpetrators were intimate partners.
Sexual violence on children has a significant impact on girls and boys who experience it which is both physical as well as psychological and can impact education, create mental disorders, and jeopardise a healthy sexual life at a later age.
It can also lead to an early pregnancy, which often results in child marriage and school dropouts.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu