Tag: Women’s Action Group

Why Reforming the Termination of Pregnancy Act Can No Longer Wait

Michael Gwarisa

By Edinah Masiyiwa I have been closely following recent developments on access to safe abortion for women and girls in Zimbabwe. As I reflect on the Women’s Action Group’s (WAG) campaign on safe abortion in the early 1990s, I am encouraged by how far the country has come on this issue. When WAG advocated for access to safe abortion then, the organisation faced intense opposition that ultimately silenced the public campaign. Quiet, behind-the-scenes advocacy continued, eventually resulting in post-abortion care being adopted as a key component of reproductive health services—an…

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Women Frustrated by Delays in Identifying Rapist of Grade 7 Pupil at Rank

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Women’s organisations have expressed frustration over the failure to identify and bring to justice the tout reportedly responsible for raping a minor in a parked commuter omnibus at the Rezende bus rank. To voice their concerns, members of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) converged on Friday at a Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Outreach Activity at the Ruzende Parkade Rank. The event, attended by women of all ages, was aimed at showing solidarity with the affected child and other women and girls who have suffered abuse at…

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New horizon beckons for Zim women…As Senate calls for Overhaul of existing Termination of Pregnancy Law

Healthtimes

Health  Correspondent When schools reopened in January this year, a headmaster in Mbire District experienced the shock of his life. 16 girls dropped out. Upon further inquiry by the education ministry, it was revealed that the majority of these students had left due to pregnancy. Elsewhere, several girls failed to return to class at the start of the term, with rural areas and mining communities being the most affected. Teenage pregnancy and child marriages remain critical issues in Zimbabwe, with recent statistics revealing alarming trends. In 2024 alone, approximately 5…

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Empowering the Press: How VCAT Trainings Are Equipping Journalists to Demystify Zimbabwe’s Abortion Laws

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Value Clarification and Attitudes Transformation (VCAT) training is a powerful tool that can help strengthen advocacy for abortion rights in Zimbabwe. By engaging journalists in critical discussions about the legal, cultural, and religious frameworks surrounding abortion, VCAT equips media professionals with the knowledge and sensitivity needed to report on the subject effectively. Zimbabwe’s Termination of Pregnancy Act (ToP) of 1977 is restrictive, allowing abortion only in specific circumstances, and many journalists have historically lacked the understanding to cover the topic accurately and sensitively. This knowledge gap…

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Inside the Makeshift Maternity Wards of Harare

Healthtimes

By Linda Mujuru, GPJ Zimbabwe HARARE, ZIMBABWE — In the high-density suburb of Hopley, Tatenda Mangwanya, 16, admires her 2-week-old baby girl to whom she gave birth with the assistance of a self-trained midwife. She stands by her decision to give birth at home, which she says was the safest for her baby, whom she named Nqobile, a Ndebele name meaning “victor.” I was registered at a local clinic in the neighboring suburb of Highfield about 10 kilometers from here, but I was transferred to [the hospital] located farther away…

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Joint Press Statement on the International Women’s Day

Healthtimes

Women’s Action Group (WAG) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Women’s Day on the 8th of March 2024. The International Women’s Day (IWD) is the annual day for celebrating the achievements and progress made towards gender equality, while also recognising the work that still needs to be done to ensure the rights of women in all spheres of life. This year’s theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate progress”, puts emphasis on the importance of empowering women as key to advancing societies and economies globally. One fundamental aspect…

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WAG Launches Four Months Long Campaign To Mark 40th Anniversary

Healthtimes

The Women’s Action Group (WAG) this year celebrates 40 years of championing the feminist movement in Zimbabwe in their quest to advance women’s rights and end abuse of women and girls in all spheres. By Ntokozo Gudu To celebrate the four decades WAG launched a four-month campaign with this year’s celebrations themed “WAG@40: We move on”. Speaking at the launch of the campaign on Wednesday, WAG executive director Mrs Edinah Masiyiwa said they will continue to fight for the uplifting and respect of a woman’s dignity. The formation of WAG…

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Building Bridges Project Reignites Feminism Energy In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

THE Building Bridges  for the Feminist Movement in Zimbabwe, has awakened the urge to champion women and girls rights in more than 70,000 young and budding feminists in at least four provinces in Zimbabwe where the project is being implemented. By Michael Gwarisa   The program came at the back of indications that the women’s movement was experiencing a decline in activism, as experienced women human rights defenders (WHRD) move on and young women have not necessarily had the opportunity to gain the skills, experience, finance and capacity to push…

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Lockdown Sees Spike In Unsafe Abortions In Guruve

Michael Gwarisa

RECURRING COVID-19 lockdown measures and a prolonged period outside learning institutions has resulted in increased Early Unintended Pregnancies (EUPs) in young adolescent girls, leading to a record spike in unsafe abortions amongst the 12- to 24-year-old age groups in Guruve, Mashonaland Central. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Guruve In Zimbabwe, abortion or termination of pregnancy is only permissible if the pregnancy poses a risk or threat to the life and health of the mother and child and also if the pregnancy is as a result of rape or incest. However,…

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