Feministry!

  With all the efforts to end child marriages, teenage pregnancies and the violation of children's rights the ruling that the age of sexual consent in Zimbabwe is now eighteen years is a cause for celebration. This goes a long way in trying to end child marriages by the year 2030. This landmark ruling has far reaching consequences when it comes to the protection of the girl child. Having the age of sexual consent raised from sixteen to eighteen means that now adolescent girls can not be forced into sexual activities and also it has been made difficult for older men to indulge in sexual activities with girls below the age of eighteen. The landmark ruling has provided a cushion for young girls. However this ruling by the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe is just a step towards the right direction. A lot still needs to be done to protect the girl child.  There are cultural and religious practices that still violate girl's rights. In Zimbabwe such practices as church dreams that im...

 

  Gender based violence (GBV) has become a global crisis yet it is one of the least visible human rights violations. The United Nations describes gender based violence as any mental, physical, sexual or economic harm inflicted on a person because of socially ascribed power imbalances. Although gender based violence is common to both men and women in most societies women are the most visibly affected ,with young women and adolescents being at a greater risk. Cases of gender based violence are being reported each and every day and perpetrators are being dealt with accordingly but as a society have we ever stopped to think about the one who has been exposed to this type of violence? GBV has deeper consequences and side effects that do not only end with the perpetrator being arrested or reprimanded.  In most cases the abuser might be arrested and thanks to correctional services they might be rehabilitated and come back to the society as better people. What becomes of the wife or m...

In our culture , talking about sex with our parents is taboo. Blessed are the generations that has uncles and aunts who would give them advice about sex.  However times have changed and most of us are nolonger in touch with our extended families and this has many consequences on our social and cultural lives. One such consequence is teenage pregnancy that has become rampant both in rural and urban areas. Children are now being raised by the media and internet whilst parents are busy trying to make ends meet to put food on the table. As a result children are experimenting a lot and it's sad that some of these experiments result in teenage pregnancies that in turn threaten the life of the girl child. Teenage pregnancies were also exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic where most adolescents were lying idle giving them ample time to indulge in sexual activities. Other factors that led to the steep increase of adolescent pregnancy during the COVID 19 induced lockdown include poverty and ...

Our lives biggest moments, sad and happy are spent with men and women in white or blue uniforms. From the birth of a person , communicable diseases, mental health, chronic conditions and eventually death , nurses are always by our bed sides.  Today gives us an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous work that is done by nurses in caring for us world wide. International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12 every year and this year it's being celebrated under the theme, A voice to lead: Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health in the nursing profession to strengthen health systems around the world. Nurses play a crucial role in ensuring that there is accessible and affordable person centred health care for everyone.  Their work do not just end in hospitals and clinics but they also play an essential role in the society by advocating for health promotion ,educating the public on how to prevent and treat certain diseases. Besides providing care and treating the s...

  A kind heart, strength and extra white teeth that always popped up when you smiled, which you always did were your greatest characters.  God blessed you with three children, two boys and a girl and for these three you would go to the moon and back to provide them with what they needed. You were not rich but you always tried your best to make ends meet for your family. You were a single mother who worked as a shop assistant for as long as I could remember , that's the job that put food on our table and took us all through school. If you come from where I come from this is not a prestigious job neither is it a highly paying one but it gave us a roof over our heads and food on the table. Life was never easy growing up nor was I raised by a rich mother but you sacrificed all you had for my sake. You took me from primary to tertiary education and the only way I ever imagined myself paying you back was through completing my studies , take care of you and give you the life that yo...

Climate change is a global phenomenon that is characterized by long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.Although these shifts may be normal,since the 1800s human activities like the burning of fossil fuels   have greatly contributed to climate change.  In as much as this phenomenon affects everyone, women tend to be the most disadvantaged because its effects are shaped with issues of gender equality and violence against women. In most crises women tend to be the most affected victims. Climate change results in many disasters which includes famines,heatwaves and cyclones.  In times like these it is girls who are most likely to drop out of school in order to help the family with looking for food, chores or even to take care of younger siblings whilst their parents are trying to make ends meet for the family. Dropping out of school means these young girls and women have also missed out on an opportunity to learn about climate change and how to curb it. This...

  It is common knowledge that women did not always give birth in hospitals and clinics. In most cases women would give birth in their homes under the care of a woman who is experienced in childbirth. These women specialized in the process of childbirth and made sure it came to fruition putting the health of the mother and newborn first. These women are called midwives. International Midwifery day celebrates the expectional work done by these women to humanity for midwifery is an important component of the healthcare system. Over the years the profession has improved to such an extent that we have people taking courses, diplomas in widwifery and what's even better  is that we now have man in that proffession. Midwives are at the core of the healthcare system of every country because of the crucial role they play in the health of women and their new borns. They play an important role in ensuring the health of women and new born babies. Their work does not only end with ensuring ...

Every year , 3 May is set aside to celebrate world Press Freedom Day. A day that governments are reminded of their commitment to media freedom.  According to the United Nations, It also serves as a day to celebrate important principles of press freedom, assess the process of press freedom around the world and pay tribute to journalists who lost their lives in line of duty. This year the day is being celebrated under the theme ,"Journalism under Digital Siege." It is also a day that journalist get to reflect on their way of doing business. However with the onset of social media journalism is really under siege.  A new crop of citizen journalist has cropped who in many cases do not pay attention to the ethics of journalism.  As a result of social media , everyone feels like they have the responsibility of disseminating information without bearing in mind who will and might be affected by that information. The most affected by all this is the girl child or women in general. ...

  Today is International Workers Day, a day to commemorate men and women who make the world go round.  These people are bound by nine to five engagements to ensure that there is balance and stability on the welfare of humanity.  There is one worker whom we may not recognise befittingly on a day like today. This worker ensures that before, during and after being a force to reckon with she is there to set the ground and get the ball rolling.  She is either your wife who wakes up an hour before you do to run that bath , cook and prepare your clothes for work.  She is that mother that wakes you up when you ignore the chimes of that not so effective bedside alarm.  That woman whom you retire to at home to find a warm and scrumptious cooked meal that she would have prepared for you regardless of her own pressures.  She is that worker that tirelessly keeps everything in check even waking up in the middle of the night just to check if she remembered to swit...