By Kuda Pembere
At a time when access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services remains a challenge for many adolescent girls and young women in Zimbabwe, the Swedish Embassy in Harare has awarded a US$5 million grant to Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) to help improve access.
Speaking during the grant signing ceremony, Sweden’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, H.E. Per Lingarde, said the support aims to enhance the livelihoods of Zimbabwean women and girls.
“For Sweden, the Swedish Government and the Swedish Embassy in Harare, sexual and reproductive health and rights are a priority. For many women and girls, accessing SRH services is difficult—not only in Zimbabwe but in many countries worldwide. Through this support, we aim to improve access to services such as contraceptives and maternal care, ultimately contributing to better lives for women and girls,” he said.
The funding will support the Access, Choice, and Equity (ACE) project, which aims to reach 500,000 people across Zimbabwe’s nine provinces.
“The ACE project will strengthen our adolescent-focused programs, building on prior initiatives supported by the Swedish Embassy and other development partners. We will foster deeper partnerships with youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) to ensure young people’s voices are heard. Our work on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) will expand, with a special focus on disability inclusion and promoting the SRHR of people with disabilities.
“We will also intensify advocacy efforts to protect women’s SRHR and counter the growing influence of anti-rights movements. Additionally, we will scale up our climate-responsive service delivery and advocacy in response to climate change.
“We are confident that the ACE project will reach an estimated 500,000 people and help prevent approximately 347,220 unintended pregnancies, 98,910 unsafe abortions, and more than 810 maternal deaths during the project’s lifespan (April 2025–December 2027),” said PSZ Country Director, Mrs. Pester Siraha.
