For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment
In 1995, thousands of women from around the world gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on women. The conference aimed at achieving legal equality for women throughout the globe. It was there that Hilary Clinton delivered her iconic declaration:
“women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights”.
The words still ring true today. As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the conference, its legacy and its goals remain vital.
For ALL Women and Girls : Rights. Equality. Empowerment
The theme this year echoes the sentiments of what became known as the Beijing Declaration, a document which became the blueprint for all women and girls’ rights. It set out a comprehensive agenda for women’s empowerment, identifying 12 critical areas of concern for advancing gender equality. These included women and poverty, education, health, violence against women and the human rights of women – to name a few.
This year, the United Nations in its press statement on the day stated that the theme is one that calls for action that “can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind.”
A Case For Rights, Equality and Empowerment
While Zimbabwe has made significant strides in outlawing child marriage, notably through the 2016 Constitutional Court ruling secured by Veritas in Mudzuru and Another v Minister of Justice and Others and the subsequent 2022 Marriages Act, the practice persists. The legal framework, which prohibits marriage for those under 18, has yet to translate into tangible change on the ground. Recent reports, including a 2024 Gender Commission study, confirm that child marriage rates remain stubbornly high, with 34 per cent of girls marrying before 18 and 5 per cent before 15. Mashonaland Central stands out with a staggering 50 per cent child marriage rate.
Child marriages have devastating consequences which undermine the rights of women and girls. Such marriages deny girls the opportunity to live a fulfilling and equitable life. The rights to education, health, bodily autonomy, freedom and equality have long lasting repercussions.
This year, in an effort to bridge the gap between the law and practice, Veritas is launching a campaign called #MwanaMwana-haarodzwe (A child is a child, they are not to be married off). The campaign seeks to highlight the law against child marriages, raise public awareness of it and make a case for the rights of women and girls by calling for better enforcement of the laws.
The statement made by the United Nations can never be more relevant than it is now. It is time for our country to take action freeing girls from child marriages and empowering them for the future.
Conclusion
As we commemorate women’s day and women’s month, Veritas calls for organisations, the government and all stakeholders to join the campaign, strengthen the cause of the Beijing Declaration and say no to child marriages!