Margaret Matibiri and Lionel Depute
 GIRLS as young as 11 years are engaging in prostitution along the country’s transport corridors after dropping from school, the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children has said.

The ZNCWC made the revelations yesterday while launching a report on Young Women in Commercial Sexual Exploitation along two transport corridors in Zimbabwe.

The report claims that 66,7 percent of the girls being sexually exploited are school drop-outs.

Speaking at the launch of the report Progressio’s Southern Africa Sub-regional Manager, Ms Fiona Mwashita implored Government to ensure fees are affordable to keep the girl child in school and arrest their sexual exploitation.

“School fees are often too expensive and unattainable and the drop-out rates of the girl child in secondary schools is very high. They in turn join the commercial sexual exploitation industry as a means of earning a living.

“The Government should look into the fees structures and make sure that all children are educated and not forced into sexual activities mostly with truck drivers who are away from home most of the times and end up having unprotected sex with these girls.

“We cannot call these young girls commercial sex workers because they are incapable of consenting to any sexual activities, hence they are commercially sexually exploited,” she said.

However, some girls drop out of school not out of failure to pay fees.

“A disturbing 14,6 percent of girls are dropping out of school not because of lack of funds but because they are not interested in school and join the sex business as they see it as an entrepreneurial opportunity,” said Ms Mwashita.

The report further claimed some girls engage in commercial sex work because they are no alternatives to generate income.

“While anecdotal evidence suggests that young women are into commercial sex exploitation because they have been mobilised or recruited by syndicates or pimps, these results suggest that in reality, most young women in Zimbabwe enter the sex industry without “pimp coercion” but as victims of their situation; disempowered, have no autonomy, no other skills and limited livelihood/economic options.”

Speaking at the same occasion ZNCWC programmes manager Mr Maxim Murungweni said serious competition had emerged between young girls and older women who engage in paid prostitution.

 

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