Chiwenga gets rare support from rights groups

RIGHTS groups yesterday supported Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga's stance barring girls under 16 years from accessing contraceptives.

Chiwenga said this last week in the National Assembly in response to a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, which advocated for rights to sexual reproductive health services (SRHS), including access to contraceptives without parental consent.

Trinity Children's Rights spokesperson Tarisai Dongo said allowing underage girls to access SRHS services would encourage them to engage in early sex.

"At 16, some girls are likely to be engaging in sexual activities, but that does not mean we should give them the leeway to access contraceptives. It's like we are saying they may begin to indulge in sexual activities at such a young age," Dongo said.

She said government should consider conducting awareness campaigns on the effects of early sex by young people, adding that some of the programmes could be done online.

Last week, the Health Portfolio Committee led by Ruth Labode called for removal of age restrictions for SRHS to curb early child pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and Aids.