GOVERNMENT has been challenged to craft laws that protect young girls from abuse amid reports that more than 100 learners dropped out of school after falling pregnant last year.
Children’s rights advocates have blamed the government’s poor policy implementation while exposing the girls to abuse.
In an interview with NewsDay, Mashonaland West proportional representative legislator Mutsa Murombedzi called for a decisive action to protect girls.
“Government must ensure every girl can access education without fear and threat of sexual violence, particularly in rural areas where figures from the Education ministry showed that it is prevalent,” she said.
“This crisis is a human rights emergency and failing to act will condemn another generation of girls to exploitation, poverty and lost potential. Our girls deserve futures, not forced marriages.”
Murombedzi said the number of dropouts recorded last year was a national crisis that demanded urgent action.
“These young girls, many who are victims of rape and exploitation, face shattered futures, trapped in vicious cycles of poverty.
“Poverty is often used as an excuse for this systemic child abuse, but such justification must end. Predation on young girls must end,” she said.
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The lawmaker said rape was not part of the country’s culture, making it an abnormal act.
“No tradition or religion must defend child bride ceremonies and, therefore, anyone facilitating or legitimising these abuses, whether traditional leaders or community members, must be held accountable. Stronger laws are needed to punish perpetrators and those who preside over these so-called marriages,” she said.
Men 4 Equality national co-ordinator Chaka Ruzvidzo said policies in place to protect the girl child had loopholes.
“There is no political will to implement the policies in place as required. We must empower the girl child from family and community level. Are we giving the girl child the same rights as the boys without segregation?”
He said it should be mandatory for every girl child must be in school, adding that jailing of those that marry underage girls should be mandatory.
“Our policies must empower traditional and church leadership to protect the girl child. Our policies must be tightened and implemented without fear or favour,” he added.
Ruzvidzo said the monetary issues have also remained silent on girl child safety.
“The Department of Social Welfare must have officers to protect girl child with strict set-up from local authorities and central government through financial support, but nothing is in place,” he said.
“We need a male engagement policy so that they respect their female counterparts to help addressing root causes of early child pregnancies and marriages that are forcing girls out of school.
“These sad statistics must be reversed as a matter of urgency and protect the girl child.”
Primary and Secondary Education minister Edgar Moyo told the National Assembly last week that 4 557 girls dropped out school, with majority of them being from rural schools.
Mashonaland Central province recorded the highest number of primary school dropouts at 34 girls, followed by Manicaland with 28.
Masvingo and Mashonaland West provinces saw 13 dropouts each, while 11 dropped out in Mashonaland East.
Matabeleland North had eight, while Matabeleland South had seven.
The Midlands province accounted for six dropouts.
The total number of dropouts for rural primary schools was 120, while urban schools accounted for 14.
