CHILD President Samuel Nyarenda has slammed communities that advocate for child marriages, saying sexual encounters are for “later life”.
by NQOBILE BHEBHE
In an interview in Victoria Falls yesterday, on the sidelines of Psycho-social Support Forum 2015, Nyarenda said the age of consent should be 18.
“People are placing culture first before the child’s responsibilities. Yes, culture is important but it should not be the key issue. At the age of 12, a girl would be finishing her Grade Seven and she is now called a wife and her age mates are continuing with schooling.
“When you met her you would be a doctor but she will be a mother of six children at the age of 21,” he said.
Nyarenda said during interactions with other youths from various countries, there was agreement that the age of consent should be universally set at 18 years.
“The key agenda that was suggested was advocacy and outreach programmes, where us the youth will get to the affected communities and have frank dialogue with parents and children and teach them that child marriages are not the way forward but marriage is for later.
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“We also suggested that the age of consent be 18 throughout. That is when the child would be mature mentally, physically and socially and that is the way forward. We cannot say children should be mothers and fathers at this age. No,” he said.
In Zimbabwe, the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:07) provides that a girl between the age of 16 and 18 may, with the joint consent of her parents, enter a civil marriage. The Act prohibits marriage of girls below the age of 16.
However, court rulings have allowed girls as young as 12 to get married, a situation that has triggered widespread opposition and calls for realignment of all necessary legislation to ensure child marriages are stopped.
