FOUR schools in Makoni district, Manicaland, have petitioned Parliament to consider implementing key policies that alleviate the various challenges girls in the district are facing.
In a petition addressed to the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, the schools said there was an urgent need to ensure the rights of the girl child were not being violated.
The petition was submitted by Nyahondo High School, Mutiwegora Secondary School, Nyamidzi Secondary School and Mukamba Secondary School, all in Makoni district, last week.
“Issues of menstrual poverty, teen pregnancies and hunger and gender equality over the years have continued to top the list as hurdles for girls to continue progressing,” they said.
“These issues that we are presenting today are the daily experiences of girls like us across Zimbabwe who are experiencing setbacks due to lack of adequate facilities, resources including financial resources, infrastructure and a general learning environment that supports education for girls from primary to tertiary level.”
They urged the government to formulate and implement policies that afford free basic education for all girls to fully realise their right to education.
“We request you to allocate funds for girl friendly ablution facilities in schools, including access to water for menstrual hygiene,” they added.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Ophias Murambiwa, said the Constitution and the Education Amendment Act showed a commitment in ensuring gender equality within schools.
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“In our Constitution, Chapter 2 Section 29, it says the State must take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic accessible and adequate services throughout Zimbabwe,” Murambiwa said.
“In the Education Amendment Act of 2020, there is a provision of the State ensuring the provision of sanitary wear and other menstrual facilities to girls in all schools to promote menstrual health.”
