The UN has condemned underage forced marriages in Zimbabwe following the death of a 14-year-old girl reportedly during childbirth at a religious shrine in the east of the country.
The police are investigating the circumstances that led to the girl's death and burial. Meanwhile, Human rights groups are demanding justice not only for Memory but for all child brides in Zimbabwe. A petition to the police commissioner has also attracted nearly 58,000 signatures since it was launched on Thursday.
The United Nations in Zimbabwe issued a statement saying child marriages continue to surface in Zimbabwe, where one out of three girls is married before the age of 18. They urged the government to recognize child marriage as a crime and bring an end to the practice.
“Sadly, disturbing reports of the sexual exploitation of underage girls, including early forced marriages, continue to surface and this is indeed another sad case,” the statement read.
The UN said the trend of cases of violence perpetrated against women and girls in Zimbabwe, “including marriages of minors, cannot continue with impunity.”
Official statistics show that one in three Zimbabwean girls are married off before the age of 18.
Zimbabwe outlawed marriage for girls under the age of 18 in 2016, but the practice has continued and become more acceptable in poorer communities. In April 2021, the government reported a major increase in teenage pregnancies, with advocates blaming it on Covid-19 lockdowns and poverty. Nearly 5,000 teenage girls became pregnant between January and February 2021 and about 1,800 entered early marriages during the same period, the government said.
The police are investigating the circumstances that led to the girl's death and burial. Meanwhile, Human rights groups are demanding justice not only for Memory but for all child brides in Zimbabwe. A petition to the police commissioner has also attracted nearly 58,000 signatures since it was launched on Thursday.
The United Nations in Zimbabwe issued a statement saying child marriages continue to surface in Zimbabwe, where one out of three girls is married before the age of 18. They urged the government to recognize child marriage as a crime and bring an end to the practice.
“Sadly, disturbing reports of the sexual exploitation of underage girls, including early forced marriages, continue to surface and this is indeed another sad case,” the statement read.
The UN said the trend of cases of violence perpetrated against women and girls in Zimbabwe, “including marriages of minors, cannot continue with impunity.”
Official statistics show that one in three Zimbabwean girls are married off before the age of 18.
Zimbabwe outlawed marriage for girls under the age of 18 in 2016, but the practice has continued and become more acceptable in poorer communities. In April 2021, the government reported a major increase in teenage pregnancies, with advocates blaming it on Covid-19 lockdowns and poverty. Nearly 5,000 teenage girls became pregnant between January and February 2021 and about 1,800 entered early marriages during the same period, the government said.
