PARENTS are finding the toll of teen mothers heavy hence the need for Government to at least chip in with material support.
By Nthokozo Gudu
Zimbabwe is battling the scourge of teen pregnancies with civil society organisations advocating for access to sexual and reproductive health services.
Addressing journalists at the press conference SASA Programme coordinator Dennis Dzikiti said communities feel that the government should have support systems for impregnated girl children whose marriages cannot be sanctioned,
Communities feel that the government should chip in and assist with material support in such instances of early girl child pregnancies.Families do not want to carry the burden of looking after such children. Zimbabwe is a signatory to international and regional conventions like UNCRC and ACRWC .These conventions put obligations on the Government of Zimbabwe towards a rights based and child focused child justice system validating the communities view.’
“Young women and adolescents generally find it difficult to access SRH services especially contraceptives.The general consensus is that whilst children can have information about contraceptives the community and its leaders are against distribution of contraceptives to children especially the school going age .Female children and young women are also not keen to access SRH services because of stigma associated with these ,communities however agree that children are engaging in risk behaviors and in most cases they engage in unsafe sex if the male counterpart do not initiate safe sex,’’ he said.
SASA Programme coordinator advocated for the need of men’s involvement in HIV programmes and the reporting of abusers anonymously to the police.
“The low and limited involvement of men in HIV programmes,men complain that in most cases they are the bread winners and the time they take trying to access HTS sevices is long and they ended up opting out,’’
“The community felt there is need to promote a whistle blowing policy where suspected cases involving family members can be reported by anonymous community members paving way for police investigations.Some cases of sexual abuse go unreported since the girl has to face the social stigma associated with putting family members in prison,’’he said.
Mr Dzikiti noted the recommendations on policies ,also reflecting on the impacts of SASA in HIV reduction,
“There is need to put in place child centred health policies that ensure access to health and medical services including quality comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information,enact policies and programs to ensure that pregnant girls continue and complete their education and take measures to ensure all children have equal access to education ,including eradicating discrimination against a pregnant or married child,or victim of child marriage,” he said.
He also said there are some laws which should be aligned to the Constitution.
“Alignment of laws to the Constitution should be expedited,constitution,marriages Act,Children’s Act,Criminal Procedure and evidence Act.
“Furthermore the key players in the Justice services sector should raise awareness and sensitize communities of the consequences and effects ofchild marriages and advice them not to promote,help or allow child marriage hence there is also need to decriminalize willful transmition of HIV. As SASA we have contributed to HIV reduction from 21% in 2003 and 12,9% currently,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospital (ZACH) programme officer Maxwell Hombiro highlighted on the harmful cultural practices in communities and the effect of drug and substance abuse in solving violence issues,
“Community members are pre-occupied with justice by fixing the perpetrator than helping the survivor. Adding on there are harmful cultural and religious practices which are on the increase and hindering issues to be solved,’’ he said.
“However drug and substance abuse are compromising ability to use alternatives to violence in solving issues of abuse and violence.”
Journalists were also encouraged on interacting with these communities in addressing the imbalance between men and women which is the root cause of violence.
“Most women are not economically empowered hence vulnerable to exploitation, hence the imbalance of power which exists between men and women and being the root cause of violence against women,’’ ZACH/SASA Programme Manager Dr Nzou added.
“The SASA program was also implemented in Zimbabwe to fight HIV, the epidemic is now feminine, considering the statistics in Zimbabwe.”
