Category: SRHR

My Age Zimbabwe Becomes Collaborative Partner of IPPF

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter My Age Zimbabwe, has entered into a collaborative partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). This partnership marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people in Zimbabwe. My Age Zimbabwe, a leading youth-led organization dedicated to advocating for comprehensive SRHR education and services, has been at the forefront of empowering young people and championing their rights. The organisation was founded by Onward Gibson Chironda in 2011 as a young person who had a passion…

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Child protection and access to safe abortion

Healthtimes

By Memory Pamella Kadau In the past few weeks, two unrelated developments have captured media attention and triggered thoughts about safe abortion and child protection. The first development was the lawsuit filed by Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), challenging the validity of some sections of the Termination of Pregnancy (ToP) Act. The second case was the raid and arrest of a cult which operated on a farm in Nyabira, some 30 kilometres west of Harare. Some 251 minors stayed at the farm where they were denied access to…

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UNFPA Zimbabwe Hands Over 19 Vehicles To Strategic Partners

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has handed over 19 vehicles to its partners to enable them to do their work in reaching out to vulnerable populations as well as the youth. The handing over of these vehicles is part of its five year program cycle where they get vehicles for partners and hand them over at the end of the program. At the end of that country program cycle, we actually hand over the equipment that has been purchased during the course of the country program.…

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Abortion services for adolescents a must

Healthtimes

By Edinah Masiyiwa Now that the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women has ended, it is time to reflect and act on the recommendations  that were made, as we endeavor to improve access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)  for women and girls.  In reviewing the theme “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,” I am dismayed by the recommendations relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The…

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ARASA Pilots Cohort Coordination Work In Zimababwe To Unite Diverse SRHR Movements

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to strengthen collaboration across various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and social movements, Zimbabwe has become the first country in the sub-Saharan region to launch an advocacy cohort coordination program to harmonise Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy work. This comes at the back of observations that various regional movements were  fragmented, and working  in a siloed environment that often limits functional collaboration across Civil Society Organisations. Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes on the side-lines of a two-day Zimbabwe Advocacy Cohort Coordination Co-creation…

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Op-ed for International Women’s Day: “Inspire Inclusion: Combating HIV, Advancing Rights”

Michael Gwarisa

By Jane KALWEO The world is significantly off course in meeting the gender targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the current pace, it will take an estimated 300 years to eradicate child marriage, 140 years to achieve equal representation of women in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to attain equal representation in national parliaments. As of December 2023, women’s representation in Zimbabwe’s Parliament stood at 34%, falling short of global targets on gender parity in legislative bodies. However, evidence has shown…

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Power of Movement building in protecting women and girls against unsafe abortion: Op Ed

Healthtimes

Mildred Mushunje, PhD The struggle for the recognition of women’s rights is one that has been fraught with backlash, including those arising out of patriarchal privileges and misogynistic ideals. Various movements including Feminist movements have risen to challenge these ideals. The movements have been multiverse and varied but they generally have the goal of addressing women’s gender subordination, the roots of women’s oppression, how gender inequality is perpetuated, and offer differing remedies for gender inequality. Such movements have also found expression in instruments such as The Convention on the Elimination…

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Zimbabwe Launches Women at the Center Project To Ease GBV Case Management and Referral Pathways

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Government of  Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Women Affairs Community, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), have launched the Women at the Centre Project that focuses on providing increased support to survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) through quality case management. Japanese Pharmaceutical Company Takeda is supporting the project and its being implemented over four years.  Zimbabwe is one of five countries that are part of this project. The other countries are Indonesia, El Salvador, Azerbaijan and…

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Zimbabwe Revision of Comprehensive Abortion Care Guidelines a positive step towards addressing high maternal morbidity and mortality

Healthtimes

By Memory Pamella Kadau Zimbabwe’s recent revision of its Comprehensive Abortion Care Guidelines marks a significant step forward in addressing the persistent challenge of high maternal morbidity and mortality linked to complications of abortion (Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care, 2023). Despite previous efforts, the burden remains evident, with abortion complications ranking as a major cause of maternal deaths in both rural and urban settings, according to a community-based study conducted by the Zimbabwe National Health Department (Zimbabwe National Health Department, 2022). This study further revealed that abortion complications…

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Save The Children, IOM, FST In Partnership to Boost Uptake of SRHR and HIV Services In Zimbabwe’s Migration Corridors

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A tripartite partnership that includes the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Save the Children and Family Support Trust (FST), has been formed in a bid to promote the uptake of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV services as well as reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of young people, migrants and individuals living in migration-affected communities. The initiative dubbed SRHR –HIV Knows No Boarders (KNB) project is being implemented in Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge district. The project will run from 2024 to 2026 and is set to reach…

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