Zimbabwe govt bemoans adolescent pregnancy

A senior government official has called for urgent and coordinated action to tackle adolescent pregnancy and improve secondary school completion rates among girls in Zimbabwe, describing the two issues as critical barriers to gender equality and national development.

Speaking during the International Day of the Girl Child 2025 commemorations held in Chitungwiza over the weekend, Enerst Chimboza, the Harare Provincial Head in the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, said the launch of the UNICEF-funded Adolescent Girls Programme marked a significant step toward empowering young women and girls.

The programme, implemented in collaboration with FAWEZI (Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, seeks to address the socio-economic and cultural barriers that hinder girls' education and development.

Chimboza said the initiative aligns with the ministry's broader mandate of promoting gender equality and advancing the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls.

"The programme is grounded in the realities girls face every day, including a national adolescent pregnancy rate of 23.7% and a secondary school completion rate of 65.9%," he said.

"We view the adolescent girl not only as a beneficiary of policy but as a future leader and driver of our national development. Through our community development work and national programmes, we continue to strengthen child protection systems to safeguard girls from all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation."

Chimboza added that the ministry was scaling up efforts to equip girls with life skills, self-confidence, and entrepreneurial abilities, enabling them to participate meaningfully in the economy and assume leadership roles.

"This includes reaching the most marginalised, particularly girls with disabilities, who often face multiple layers of exclusion. Our programmes are designed to ensure that no girl is left behind, regardless of her background or circumstance," he said.

At the same event, UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, Etona Ekole, highlighted the significance of this year's theme, "The Girl I Am, the Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis." She said the theme recognised girls not only as survivors of adversity but also as leaders, innovators, and changemakers confronting challenges such as climate change, poverty, and inequality.

"Behind each of these figures is a name, a face, and a story - a story of a girl who could have been a doctor, an engineer, a minister, or a business magnate," Ekole said. "This is why we are here today - to launch UNICEF's RISE Project, implemented in partnership with FAWEZI."

RISE, which stands for Resilient, Innovative, Skilled, and Empowered girls, aims to empower 24,000 adolescent girls in Chitungwiza and Chipinge through access to STEM education, leadership development, and life skills training.

"This is not just another ordinary project," Ekole said. "It is a movement to equip girls with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive in life and lead in society."

According to national statistics, one in three girls in Zimbabwe is married before the age of 18, while one in four school dropouts is linked to pregnancy or early marriage. Only 65.9% of girls complete secondary school, with lower rates recorded in rural districts such as Chipinge.

Stakeholders at the event agreed that reversing these trends requires collaboration among government ministries, development partners, and communities to ensure every girl has the opportunity to learn, grow, and lead.