Senators demand tough action against child marriage

Zimbabwe's Senate has called for stricter enforcement of laws against child marriage and teenage pregnancy, warning that the continued exploitation of young girls is undermining the country's social and economic development despite existing constitutional protections.

The call emerged during debate on a motion tabled by Morgen Chakabuda, with legislators describing child marriage as a national crisis driven by poverty, weak law enforcement, harmful cultural practices and the exploitation of vulnerable children.

Contributing to the debate, Itayi Mwanza said children should be focused on education and personal development rather than marriage and parenthood.

"A child at the age of 14 must not be thinking about where she will get relish or nappies," Mwanza said.

"That child must be thinking about how she can solve a mathematics problem."

She argued that poverty continues to push some girls into relationships with older men who provide financial support and basic necessities, while some families view marrying off daughters as a way of coping with economic hardship.

"Without education, it is poverty for life because education helps one to become employed or self-employed," she said.

Mwanza called for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in child marriages and urged authorities to expand support systems that allow affected girls to remain in school.

She also appealed for the expansion of school feeding programmes, saying they could help reduce the vulnerability of children from disadvantaged households.

Supporting the motion, Robson Mavenyengwa described child marriage as "a constitutional crisis, a human rights violation and a direct assault on the future of Zimbabwe."

Mavenyengwa noted that Zimbabwe's Constitution and the Marriages Act prohibit marriage for anyone under the age of 18, but warned that the practice remains widespread.

"Let us be clear from the outset: child marriage is illegal in Zimbabwe. Anyone under the age of 18 cannot get married," he said.

He argued that the country's challenge lies not in the legal framework but in weak implementation and enforcement.

"Despite the clarity in our laws, one in every three girls in Zimbabwe is married before the age of 18. This is not a legal gap; this is a failure of enforcement."

Mavenyengwa said poverty, lack of educational opportunities, food insecurity and harmful cultural practices continue to expose girls to exploitation, resulting in school dropouts, health complications and long-term economic dependence.

"When a girl child is married, we do not just lose a learner; we lose a future nurse, teacher, lawyer or leader," he said.

He called for stronger law enforcement, expanded public awareness campaigns and increased funding for programmes designed to keep girls in school and eliminate child marriage.

Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa said the issue extends beyond marriage and pregnancy and is fundamentally about safeguarding Zimbabwe's future.

"Every time a child is forced into marriage, Zimbabwe loses. Every time a girl drops out of school because of pregnancy, Zimbabwe loses," she said.

Mlotshwa rejected attempts to justify child marriage on cultural or religious grounds, insisting that constitutional rights and human dignity must take precedence.

"Culture cannot override constitutional rights. Culture cannot override human dignity. Culture cannot override the rights of children," she said.

She condemned adults who target underage girls, arguing that society has normalised behaviour that should be unequivocally rejected.

"It is wrong and we must condemn it at every level possible."

Mlotshwa identified poverty as one of the major drivers of child marriage but stressed that the practice perpetuates rather than solves economic hardship.

"Child marriage does not solve poverty; it reproduces poverty," she said.

The senator described education as the most effective tool for preventing child marriage and teenage pregnancy and urged government to strengthen initiatives that help girls remain in school.

She further warned that many cases of teenage pregnancy involve criminal exploitation by adults rather than consensual relationships between minors.

"Many are criminal matters. Many involve violation of children's rights," she said, calling for thorough investigations and prosecutions.

Mlotshwa also highlighted the health and psychological consequences faced by young mothers, including pregnancy-related complications, trauma, anxiety and depression, and called for improved healthcare and mental health support services.

"There can be no prosperous Zimbabwe built on broken childhoods," she said.

"There can be no upper-middle-income economy built on girls forced out of classrooms. There can be no national development while children are raising children."

In his closing remarks, Chakabuda thanked senators for their contributions and urged them to take the message back to their communities.

The motion was subsequently adopted by the Senate, condemning child marriage and teenage pregnancies, calling on the Ministries of Health and Child Care and Primary and Secondary Education to intensify awareness campaigns, and advocating tougher penalties for adults who exploit minors.

The debate reflects growing concern among policymakers over the social, educational and economic consequences of child marriage, with lawmakers warning that stronger enforcement and community engagement will be critical to protecting vulnerable children and securing Zimbabwe's future development.