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Shingai Mandoza
I am pretty sure that some of us don’t know what a youth is.
I think a youth is the period between childhood and adult age from the age of 16- 40.
As youths we have our own rights some of which are denied by the society.
For example, we have the right to be free from physical punishment.
Growing up, being beaten up by our parents was the way.
They regarded it as nurturing us into better people.
However, it is proven by a lot of scientists that with time children will turn into some stereotypes just because of excessive beating.
In my mother language its called “Nhubu”.
There is the right to be full participants in our representative democracy through voting.
In Zimbabwe voting is from the age of 18 and above which is good. There is the right to privacy which most of our African parents don’t consider.
You find that our parents still need to look into our phones because at the age of 20, “we are not grown yet”.
They still want to guide us but by way of pushing or forcing us to do what they could have done better in their childhood life.
There is the right to make life decisions and to be outdoors.
In Zimbabwe by the age of 18 you are now legal and free to do as you please but unfortunately at the age of 23 you still have curfew and sometimes you grounded.
Like, dear parents how do you expect us to mature, when we always have to sneak out to hang out with our friends.
That is a question most youths fail to get an answer.
You find that a youth at the age of 23 doesn’t have a boyfriend because her parents are too strict.
It depends on the person, or what you value. I am not saying get a boyfriend or girlfriend, but there is time for everything.
So where are our rights then?
The Constitution came with many rights for the youths, however amid this development most youths in Zimbabwe are still in the dark when it comes to this issue to be articulated in brief in this article.
Ageism is just like racism or sexism and a form of discrimination and prejudice.
You find that most cases of suicide and depression are from youths because of the negative attitudes, beliefs (culture) and preconceptions we get from our parents and even relatives.
Generally, it leaves us youths vulnerable to abuse.
There is the right to consent to sexual activities.
However, sexual activity under the age of consent is regarded as statutory rape.
There is the right to drive and in Zimbabwe by the age of 16, you are allowed to get a driver’s license.
There is the right to work through engaging in productive employment and should not be prevented to do so.
Lastly there are students rights which regulate student’s freedom and allow students to make use of their educational investment.
These include such things as the right to free speech and association, to due process, equality, autonomy, safety and privacy. Therefore, the issue of inter-residency at university dormitories should be revised and be dealt with according to the student rights.
Online Reporter