By Kuda Pembere
Financial hardships are driving tertiary students into exploitative relationships known as “semester marriages.” These arrangements, described by students, involve male students acting as husbands and providing for female students, who, in turn, perform the duties of a wife. The “marriage” typically lasts for one academic semester.
This issue came to light during a Safer Campus Campaign Dialogue on Gender-Based Violence, organized by the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Africa Trust (SAT) in partnership with Full of Life Trust (FOLIT) at the Catholic University of Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
Today, we were hosting the Safer Campus Campaign dialogue at the Catholic University. The main aim was to identify some of the factors fueling or perpetuating gender-based violence (GBV) at tertiary institutions,” said SAT Zimbabwe Youth Officer Dean Mutata.
He highlighted that economic disparities play a significant role in making young women vulnerable. “The key finding was that financial challenges, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, are a major driver of GBV in campus settings.”
Chief Inspector Tichaona Burashu, National Officer in Charge of the Victim Friendly Unit at the Police General Headquarters, condemned semester marriages, describing them as a form of sexual exploitation. “Students can report these cases via our online platform or in person at any police station nationwide, where Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) officers are available,” he said.
One participant at the dialogue pointed out that these arrangements are widespread across universities, with financial dependency as the primary motivator.
“Financial issues are the major cause. In these relationships, it’s rarely 50/50. Most of the time, it’s the girl who needs financial assistance and looks to a guy for help. This often leads to semester marriages. Unfortunately, it disadvantages the girl, as some guys become abusive when they realize she is financially dependent. She essentially becomes a puppet, and the relationship becomes transactional—her body in exchange for financial support,” the participant explained.
Another participant, speaking as a parent, acknowledged the existence of semester marriages but attributed them to a lack of discipline rather than financial necessity.
“Semester marriages are real. They are happening. In my view, the root cause is indiscipline. As parents, we provide everything our children need to study comfortably. Claims of insufficient money are often excuses. As a parent, I can’t send my child to university without covering rent and food. These marriages are rampant at big universities like UZ, MSU, and NUST, even among students from well-off families,” said the parent.
However, another participant countered, arguing that the money provided by parents is often insufficient for additional costs like printing assignments and dissertations.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Masimba, a representative from the Catholic University, emphasized that the institution is taking measures to address sexual harassment and exploitation.
“We have a sexual harassment policy in place. Additionally, we are drafting a gender inclusivity policy to guide students and staff on processes and procedures for reporting incidents. I’m happy to say the sexual harassment policy is already active,” she said.
