Staff Writer
Unicef has launched a new campaign called “Nothing for us, without us” in partnership with government and stakeholders targeting adolescents.
The campaign highlights the situation of adolescents (10 to 19 years), their power as actors of change in their communities and the programme work done by Unicef will run from October to December 2023.
Speaking at the launch, Unicef Zimbabwe representative Jacqueline Kabambe, said adolescents face multiple deprivations.
“22 percent of adolescent girls ages 15 to 19 have begun childbearing, one third of the maternal deths are among adolescents 10 -19; there are over 85000 adolescents 10-19 living with HIV; 4.1 percent of girls aged 13-17 experience sexual violence; Zimbabwe is home to over 1 million child brides, with one in three young women having been married in childhood; 47 percent of adolescents are out of school in Zimbabwe.
“All these deprivations impede adolescent development, especially the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural capacities that support health and well-being,” Kabambe said.
She said since adolescents represent the future of the country, one of the most important commitments as country could make for future economic, social and political progress was to address their development needs.
“Early adolescence, between the ages of 10 and 14, is a particular age when enduring patterns of healthy behaviour can be developed. Developing healthy pattens from the start is easier than changing risky behaviour that are already entrenched,” she said.
She however, said Zimbabwe had made progress in addressing matters affecting adolescents notably, the recent passing of the Marriages Act athta prohibits the marriage of minors under the age of 18.
The Education Amendment Act has made provisions for school retention for pregnant girls and adolescent mothers, free basic education, abolishment of corporal punishment as well as provision of free sanitary wear for girls in primary and secondary schools.
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