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Manicaland Correspondent
It is crucial for everyone to develop a positive attitude towards the girl child and protect her from social norms that militate against her rights, an official has said.

Mutasa district administrator Mr Tendai Kapenzi said it was important for society to observe and uphold the rights of the girl child.

Speaking during a Girl Plan Consultative and Planning Stakeholders’ Meeting organised by Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Africa Trust (SAT) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Mutasa district recently, Mr Kapenzi said despite respecting social norms, everyone needed to fully understand the importance of the girl child.

“Anyone born of a woman should know that the girl should be protected and respected because over the years society has been segregating and repressing them, hence we need to work together to protect them here in Mutasa,” he said.

In an interview with The Herald, SAT country operations manager Mrs Hamida Mauto said: “We put the girl child at the centre of our work, focusing on six key components, which include keeping girls safe in schools, protecting them from gender based violence, promoting access to sexual and reproductive health services, availing comprehensive sexual services, comprehensive sexual education and menstrual health too.”

She said they had organised the meeting as Mutasa district to agree on how they can protect the girl child in the district considering the prevalence of child marriage.

Education officer for special needs, Mr Charles Mazorodze said: “In the education system we have a school health policy, which has issues to do with sexual reproductive health in young people. It also has issues to do with family living, personal health as well as the growth and development of the girl child.”

Stakeholders attending the meeting concurred on the need for dialogue with traditional chiefs in Mutasa to get their approval to teach sexual education to young girls.

Mr Mazorodze said the meeting had mapped a way forward for the girl child in Mutasa, adding that the plan should not only benefit girls, but boys too.