International Day of the Girl Child Commemorated
International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated globally on the 11th October. The day was recognized through a resolution passed by the United Nations, General Assembly to recognize the rights of girls, unique challenges girls face around the world and to promote girls and women empowerment.
By Tafadzwa Matangira (Student Intern – University of Zimbabwe)
Zimbabwe’s constitution provides a strong framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of women and men, boys and girls. It recognizes the equality of all people and goes further to explicitly outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sex and gender. Adolescent girls have the right to safe, educated and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women. Accordingly, if girls are effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads and political leaders. An investment in realizing the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future.
Girls are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalized communities. As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations. In Zimbabwe, a lot of targeted programmes are being implemented based on key priorities for adolescent girls and young women. Key work is around ending child marriages, reducing teenage pregnancies, drug and substance abuse, gender-based violence and a coordinated multi – sectorial approach to menstrual health and hygiene.
Menstrual health and hygiene remains a major challenge, particularly for adolescent girls, for whom the consequences include negative impacts on ability to effectively attend school. HIV and Aids remains an issue of concern with adolescent girls and young women remaining more likely to be infected by HIV than boys and young men of the same age group. In education, girls manage to complete primary school. However, transition to secondary and tertiary education remains a challenge as some girls are affected by early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) joined hands with Population Services Zimbabwe on the 21st October 2022, as they held the, ‘Colour Run for Life’ event at Tariro youth centre in Hopley. The event was a combined commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child and world Breast Cancer awareness. ZNFPC was offering free Family Planning and Reproductive Health services.