The herald
Valuable Manomano Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) called on the government, the private sector and civil society organizations to come together and take decisive action in the fight against endemic child marriage.
The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Chieza Juru, said she was concerned about the growing reports of child marriages in the country perpetrated by harmful cultural and religious practices.
Recently, a 14 year old girl, Anna Machaya, died in a Johanne Marange shrine during childbirth, which signifies the painful effects of child marriage.
“Child marriage is harmful because it violates girls’ rights to health and education. Girls’ bodies are not mature enough for marriages and reproduction, resulting in serious health risks that can lead to death.
“It is in this context that the ZYC calls on Zimbabweans to step in and protect our daughters from death. We call on the police to continue to play their crucial role and to effectively protect girls against child marriage and abuse, â€she said.
Girls usually finish primary school when they are between 12 and 13 years old, a time when their bodies are not fully developed to carry a pregnancy, let alone give birth.