By Kuda Pembere
The 15th edition of the Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) National Students Conference opened on Monday with notable new additions, including the participation of parliamentary researchers and students drawn not only from universities, but also from teacher training colleges and agricultural institutions.
The opening day featured a Research Indaba where researchers from parliamentary portfolio committees shared insights with students while explaining how Parliament functions and how research feeds into law making.
Research papers presented during the indaba focused on gender based violence among males, the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), disability and climate change, the uptake of SRHR information on social media, and the infringement of female students’ SRHR.
Speaking to HealthTimes, SAYWHAT executive director Jimmy Wilford said the 2025 conference is being held under the theme, “A Crystal Vision for Student Health and Education.”
“Today’s conference marks the 15th edition of the National Students’ Conference that has been organized by SAYWHAT since 2006. So, 15 years we are looking at crystal vision. We are not looking at crystals just like in general life, we are looking at a crystal vision for sexual and reproductive health and education, for health and education for the students,” Wilford said.
He said the conference seeks to unpack emerging challenges and innovations in addressing sexual and reproductive health issues affecting young people.
“The whole idea is we want to unpack the diversity of challenges and innovation that has been coming up over the years in regards to addressing sexual and reproductive health challenges for young people in general and the students in particular,” he said.
Wilford added that this year’s conference was particularly significant because of the engagement between students and parliamentary researchers.
“We convened the National Students’ Conference for multiple purposes. Firstly, it is a platform where students come together with policymakers, college authorities and other stakeholders so that they can listen to the voices of students,” he said.
“When you look at Parliament, it is meant to come up with laws, and what we are doing here is to influence or advocate for the inclusion of aspects that positively impact young people. Parliamentary researchers are the drive behind Parliament’s work, so having them listening to young people will also aid how policies are shaped at the parliamentary level.”
Wilford said the conference has reached a stage where discussions must translate into concrete policy proposals.
“Right now, young people are raising various issues and proposals through discussions. If we cannot engage with policymakers, then this conference risks becoming a talk show,” he said.
On the influence of social media on SRHR information uptake, Wilford said SAYWHAT is equipping young people with skills to critically assess online content.
“We train young people to understand that they cannot believe everything they read on social media. Algorithms are sometimes designed to drive reactions and engagement linked to monetization,” he said.
“People can make more money by sensationalizing issues, even spreading incorrect information, which attracts traffic but misinforms communities. We encourage young people to verify information and read between the lines.”
SAYWHAT advocacy specialist Isabella Michael said the organization plans to expand programming aimed at addressing social media misinformation.
“We recognize the findings coming from student research, especially on the role of social media and how it is impacting the health and education of young people,” Michael said.
“As SAYWHAT, we are committing to investing in digital health in our programming and interventions as the next chapter beyond this crystal jubilee. Digital health cuts across health, education and child protection issues. We cannot ignore social media.”
She added that while technology has benefits, safeguards are necessary to prevent harm.
“This is something that SAYWHAT will continue to invest in going forward,” she said.
Michael said the conference brought together students from more than 30 tertiary institutions across the country.
“At this 15th edition of the National Students Conference, we have over 30 tertiary institutions represented here today. These students are coming from universities, teacher training colleges and agricultural colleges from all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe,” she said.
Students attending the conference welcomed the inclusion of parliamentary researchers.
“This is the first day and it is very important that all stakeholders are involved,” said Benhilda Mugwanyu. “The presence of researchers from the Parliament of Zimbabwe is critical because they understand how policies are formulated.”
“When young researchers present their findings, these are the people who receive them and know how policies are shaped. Having everyone here shows that we are moving in the right direction,” she added.
