Zimbabwe stakeholders target child marriage and teenage pregnancy

Stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s sexual and reproductive health sector are working to bridge the gap between policy and community action to combat child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence (GBV).

During a meeting convened by the UNFPA and the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe, officials discussed the #NotInMyConstituency initiative to develop national frameworks and community-level action plans. UNFPA country representative Miranda Tabifor highlighted alarming data from the 2023 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey, which indicates that 23.7 percent of girls aged 15–19 are already mothers or pregnant. This rate is significantly higher in rural areas and specific regions like Mashonaland Central.

Tabifor noted that nearly 40 percent of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical or sexual violence, contributing to forced marriages and school dropouts. Additionally, adolescent pregnancies are cited as a major factor in Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality ratio, which stands at 212 deaths per 100,000 live births.