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Tanaka Mahanya Features Writer
Plan International last week held a girls’ symposium aimed at supporting vulnerable children, especially girls, to confidently assert their rights and influence policy-making at national, regional and international levels.

Young girls from around the country had an opportunity to talk to policy makers and to raise issues that affect them.

One of the participants, Alice Munyikwa, urged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education; Zimbabwe Republic Police; Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Ministry of Health and Child Care; National Aids Council and Victim Friendly Unit to discourage some churches from forbidding followers from seeking treatment at hospitals.

She said although she was advised to seek medical attention, her church did not allow her to do that. This, she added, could be the reason why she stammers, as she was not attended to when she was young.

Some of the concerns raised included the unavailability of sanitary wear in schools, a sharp contrast to male condoms that are readily available.

With the current price hikes, many cannot afford accessing sanitary wear, as a packet is going for $20 in the supermarkets. This has led to some girls using dirty cloths and other unsanitary methods when they undergo their monthly. periods

Many girls are dropping out of school after falling pregnant and subsequently being disowned by their parents.

Some fall pregnant as a result of rape. Because of ignorance and poverty, they do not report such cases as their parents want the baby to be taken care of once it is  born.

In some learning institutions, girls are discouraged from taking up subjects like mathematics.

However, most women have broken the glass ceiling as some have become successful doctors, mechanics and engineers.

While many countries have advocated for equal treatment of women and men, patriarchal societies continue to have stereotypical views towards women.

Every girl has the right to bre protected from violence, should access health facilities, participate in her society and go to school, without negative influence from any member of a family or society.

Empowering the girl child will go a long way in bringing poverty to an end in most families, at the same time strengthening economies.

According to a Brookings report, increasing the number of women completing secondary education by just one percent could increase a country’s economic growth by 0,3 percent.

It is important that girls and women are empowered through supporting them to gain skills and knowledge they need to earn a living and not be dependent on men.