Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
ROOTS Statement: Child Marriage in Mashonaland Central
By: myadmin • August 19, 2016
The Real Open Opportunities for Transformation Support commends the efforts made by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development in unearthing some of the lead causes of child marriage in Mashonaland Central.
As an organisation working in the province, we condemn abuse of office by people in positions of authority and call for an end to impunity. We also call for stiffer sentences for those found on the wrong side of the law.
ROOTS hope that all stakeholders involved in ending child marriage will move from rhetoric to action and immediately put in place measures to curb the scourge. We recommend that there be speedy alignment of the Marriages Laws to the Constitution, provision of alternatives for girls, keeping girls in school and supporting girls who are already in marriage, provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health services and information and poverty eradication.
ROOTS will continue to educate communities and work with traditional and religious leaders to ensure that there is a shift from norms that see girls being married off before they reach the age of 18.
Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/child-marriages-rife-in-mash-central-report/
Inserted by: ROOTS Information Desk
Housing and child marriage
By: myadmin • May 30, 2016
The sad tale of families living in dilapidated buildings, squatter camps and overcrowded rooms without proper sanitation and lack of adequate access to basic services like water and electricity has characterized most urban and peri urban settlements in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole. The perennial housing crisis has not only spared the people of Epworth, Dzivarasekwa, and Mbare only to mention just but a few to the above problems rather it has unearthed a new and even uglier monster child marriage.
Harmful cultural practices fueling child marriage
By: myadmin • May 30, 2016
In the words of Nelson Mandela they can be no keener revelation on a society’s soul than the way it treats its children but when takes a closer look at some of the harmful traditional and cultural customs performed by the Nyau culture popularly known as Zvigure and the Chinamwari traditional customs which all trace back their roots to Malawi leaves a lot not to be desired as they have become dangerous proponents of child marriage which is a direct challenge to Africa’s sustainable future.
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Over 60pc rural women don’t have access to sanitary ware
By: myadmin • May 10, 2016
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is trying to come up with strategies to ensure that sanitary ware is available to rural women after revelations that more than 60 percent of the women have no access to sanitary ware, resulting in some female pupils missing about five days of school a month.
Deputy Minister for Health and Child Care, Cde Aldrin Musiiwa said his ministry has received information from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development which shows that the situation needed attention
“We received the information from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development. We are yet to verify the statistics but we are aware of the ongoing situation. People in rural areas are affected by poverty. Most of them cannot afford to buy these sanitary ware every month,” said Cde Musiiwa.
“We need to assist these young people to ensure that they attend school every day.”
ROOTS Press Release: Zimbabwe Con Court bans child marriages
By: myadmin • January 20, 2016
The Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe on January 20, 2016 outlawed marriages or unions for anyone below the age of 18 years.
The groundbreaking ruling follows a case that was lodged on the 14th of January 2015 by ROOTS and Veritas seeking an order barring child marriages or unions of/ with children below the age of 18.
ROOTS, together with Veritas supported two child brides Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi and through prominent lawyer Tendai Biti filed this application to ensure protection of children’s rights by challenging the Customary Law and Marriage Act which allow girls to be married before they reach the age of 18.
In handing down the judgement, the Constitutional Court ruled that with effect from the 20th of January 2016 it is illegal for any person whether a boy or a girl to enter into a marriage or any other union below the age of 18 years old.
The court also ruled that Section 22(1) of the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:11) is inconsistent with provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 years old.
ROOTS welcomes this judgement which comes as a milestone in the campaign to end child marriages and the protection of for the rights of children, specifically young girls who remain the main victims of this scourge in society.
ROOTS hope that Parliament will speed up the alignment of the Marriages Act and the new Constitution which bars the marriage of persons under the age of 18 years.
ROOTS calls for stiffer jail term sentences to all the perpetrators.
ROOTS will continue to educate communities specifically those in mining areas, farming communities and other remote areas were child marriages have become entrenched on the need to protect the rights of all children.
ROOTS calls on all responsible authorities and all Zimbabweans to respect this decision so that the rights of all children are protected.
We wish to thank all the partners in particular Veritas, the legal team headed by MR Tendai Biti and the two child brides Loveness and Ruvimbo for the determination they showed during this battle.
