Financial hardships driving varsity students into semester marriages

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.…

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SAT launches YouthWyz mobile app

THE Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Africa Trust (SAT) on Friday launched a mobile application meant to provide adolescents with information on where and how to access sexual reproductive health services. By Kuda Pembere The application was established on the back of the high demand of SRHR issues. Prior the application development, there were physical YouthWyz hubs but for ease of access to some of the services, SAT with the help of various partners and Dure Technologies, an application developer creased it YouthWyz app. YouthWyz is a digital hub I know…

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SAT holds fun-run for adolescents

THE Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Africa Trust (SAT) on Saturday brought SRHR services as well as health and wellbeing activities at Westgate Shopping Centre. By Kudakwashe Pembere Youngsters were joined by adults in a 10 kilometre fun-run. SAT Zimbabwe Country operations manager Mrs Hamida Ismail- Mauto in an interview said the fun-run was meant to raise awareness on SRHR services to adolescents. SAT just hosted a fun-run or a fun-walk. We were targeting adolescents and young people as a way to raise awareness on access to SRHR  services and then also encourage exercise…

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SAT Launches Workplace 50:50 Policy

IN a move that was meant to achieve gender equality at the places of work SRHR Africa Trust(SAT)  together with Sex Rights Africa,a global organization that advocates for equality and equity at work place   has launched the 50:50 workplace policy at regional level. By Patricia Mashiri The policy is aimed at encouraging commitment for addressing gender inequality at workplace which is urgent given the extent of sexual harassment in the workplace. Speaking during the launch, the guest of honor Commissioner  Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, the Chairperson for the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC)…

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SAT Calls For Harmonization Of Cultural, Religious And Statute Laws To Improve SRHR Access

HARMFUL traditional, cultural and religious practices have over the years been major contributing factors towards the perpetration of sexual abuse , Gender Based Violence (GBV) and to a larger extent inhibits access to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services, hence the need to integrate customary laws and statute law.   By Patricia Mashiri Speaking during a harmonization of culture, religion and human rights in promoting SRHR dialogue in Harare, Mrs Hamida Ismail- Mauto , the SRHR Africa Trust (SAT) Country Operations Manager, said SRH Rights should not be infringed by…

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2021 SRHR Activism Awards Winners Honored

THE Sexual Reproductive Health and Right Africa Trust (SAT), has awarded young people who excelled in advancing work around SRHR in communities throughout the year 2021 despite challenges that were brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa The SRHR Activism awards are amongst other reasons aimed at motivating young people to advocate for their Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in their respective communities. Officiating at the awards event, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Zimbabwe Country Director, Ms Sophia Mukasa Monico said young people have a…

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Religious and Traditional Leaders join SRHR Africa Trust in the fight against GBV

TRADITIONAL leaders have agreed that there are some harmful cultural practices that should be abolished if the vision to end Gender Based Violence (GBV) is to be realised. By Patricia Mashiri These abusive cultural norms include chiramu (i, kugara nhaka (wife inheritance) and kuzvarira (marrying off young girls) among others. The traditional leaders accepted that culture is dynamic and therefore people should not be confined to past practices in which some of them were against women’s wishes and were abusive. Speaking during a GBV dialogue led by Sexual Reproductive Health…

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Zim Still Stuck With Archaic Termination Of Pregnancy Law

ZIMBABWE  this week joined the rest of the world in commemorating the Safe Abortions day albeit the country is still operating under a 43-year-old Termination of Pregnancy ACT which prevents women from accessing safe abortion at health institutions even though evidence suggests that majority of the country’s maternal deaths are as a result of haemorrhaging due to unsafe abortions, a legal expert has said. By Michael Gwarisa The country’s existing Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP ACT V (No. 29  of 1977) was adopted in 1977 and only permits women to…

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Young People Should Lead SRHR Conversation From The Front- Dr Mushunje

Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Africa Trust  (SAT) Country Director, Dr Mildred Mushunje has called on youths across the country to be active participants concerning issues affecting their Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) if tangible results are to be realized. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking during an Intergenerational conversation on Meaningful Youth participation in commemoration of the International Youth Day live on Capitalk FM, Dr Mushunje said no one was qualified to talk about issues affecting young people more than the young people themselves. We realized that more often than not,…

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SAT, Partners Host Young People’s SRHR & COVID-19 Community Awareness Campaign

THE Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT Zimbabwe) together with the Youth Aspire Development Trust (YADT) and the Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) yesterday held a full day community awareness campaign in Chitungwiza to sensitize young people and the community on available Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, SAT Zimbabwe SRHR Youth Officer Vimbai Nyika said the youth hub outreach was aimed at disseminating information on SRHR and COVID-19 since there is a strong intersection between the two components. With the coming…

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