5 Approaches to a Brighter, Healthier Future for Zimbabwe ' s Women and Girls

5 Approaches to a Brighter, Healthier Future for Zimbabwe's Women and Girls By , Senior global technical director for HIVcbalesJune 21, 2023June 21, 2023 12:00 PMI often have this image in my mind: a young girl I saw the last time I went to my village. It ’s late morning and she’s carrying a bucket of water on her head, having just drawn it from the village well. She’s just nine or ten years old, but I know it will not be long before she, or another girl she knows, will be forced into womanhood.In Zimbabwe, 34% of girls are married before the age of 18.  The school holidays are not due for another month, so I wonder why she is not in school. I ’m flooded with thoughts about the disadvantages girls here in Zimbabwe, and in many low-income settings around the world, still face. They are expected to grow up too quickly, often when they are not psychologically ready, and when their little bodies are physically not ready to carry babies.In Zimbabwe, 34% of girls are married before the age of 18 and 5% before their 15th birthday, andalmost a quarter of women ages 20-24 gave birth before they turned 18. Thefertility rate stands at 3.5, and about15% of girls and women 15-49 are living with HIV.I have worked as a medical practitioner all my adult life. I started as a young doctor interning at Harare Central Hospital, and then my career turned to public health —which took me from thinking about how to provide the best care for that one patient sitting in front of m...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news