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A child bride

Catherine Murombedzi HIV Walk
Many abuses are taking place as minors enter into forced marriages. With  October 11 the International Day of the Girl Child in mind, my plea remains let children be children. Let us afford them the chance to grow up, get a good education and equip them with life skills.On December 19 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its second observance, this year’s day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education”.

It is fact that when you educate a woman, you have educated a community. With this year’s theme emphasising education it is sad to note that not all girls in Zimbabwe and the world over are getting basic education.

Last month I was notified of an impending marriage of a minor in Mhondoro by an alert member of the Mopane community in Mhondoro East. Had the marriage taken place it would have seen a 13-year-old given off to a 65-year-old man who is old enough to be her grandfather.

The girl lives with her aunt who is a member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect while the man behind the botched marriage is also a leading figure of the same church.

The aunt (name with held) who had received food handouts for years had promised the young girl’s hand in marriage. The aunt and the minor were not at home at the time of my visit as they were said to be attending a church meeting at Bandawa in the same area where the minor would have been handed over to the “husband” after the church meeting.

The minor, who is a Grade 5 pupil, would have dropped out of school and become the man’s fourth wife.
Since when has a 13-year-old’s priority become marriage? This would have been a forced marriage since the girl is a minor.

An arranged marriage is different from a forced marriage in that an arranged marriage has both parties consenting with the assistance of either parents, friend or third party. In the Mhondoro minor’s case, the aunt who had received food handouts was using the child as payment in return for groceries and favours given to her. This is illegal.

Neighbours confirmed that they heard that the man was set to get a new wife anytime soon after the annual church meeting as his religion allowed that. The neighbours also said it was difficult to know exactly when the marriage was to take place since the church members were secretive about it, but it was imminent.

“The man’s third wife is very young. She could have been under-age when he married her eight or so years ago. This type of marriage is rampant in their church. They marry under-age girls and we have heard that he intends to get a young orphan who lives with her aunt in return for the food hand outs he gave them over the years,” said the neighbours. The neighbours also confirmed that the man, who is a proud owner of a large herd of cattle, used to offer free draught power to the aunt. As a token of appreciation the aunt pledged to give the man the girl’s hand in marriage.

A visit to the man’s homestead found the man away on business at a nearby school where he is contracted as a builder. A young-looking daughter-in-law with a toddler in tow said her in-laws had gone for healing prayers because the young twins to the third wife were ill.

“My mothers are not around, I am the daughter-in-law. They have gone with the twins for prayers because the babies are not well. Father is at Mopane Primary School where he is building,” she said.

On visiting the man at the school he denied that he intended marrying an under-age girl. He said he had married three women in his life, the first one in 1971, the third one sometime in 2004 or 2005 and did not remember when he married the second one. The man admitted that he had several children.

“My first wife died in 2001. My third wife currently has four children,” said the elderly man.
The man, who appeared pensive, wanted to know the legal age of marriage.

“What is the correct age that a girl can get married and not have one put behind bars, and has it always been a crime to marry minors?” the man asked.

On being informed that it was a crime to marry a minor and that the legal age of majority was 18, he nodded as if in agreement.
“I see. Thank you for the visit and for alerting me, I have not married a fourth wife yet,” he added.
If the marriage had gone ahead, where would it have left the minor standing as HIV and sexual transmitted diseases are concerned?

A 13-year-old’s body is not ready for sex let alone talk of falling pregnant. Complications during child birth are on the rise in girls under the age of 19.

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, last month at a Press conference said sex education to children in schools was important and must be gradual.

“What we do with the Ministry of Education is that we advocate that there must be gradual sex education to children . . . Certainly as you know the age of majority is 18 years,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Paul Chimedza, added that his ministry saw the need to conduct intensive awareness campaigns to stop traditional practices that result in sexual abuse of children.

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care in conjunction with its partners see the need to conduct intensive awareness campaigns to stop traditional practices that result in sexual abuse of children,” said Dr Chimedza.

Section 26 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe expressly imposes a duty upon the State to ensure that children are not pledged into forced marriages.

The very same offence of pledging is also criminalised under Section 94 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 9:23] and carries a fine or and a maximum incarceration period of two years.

Section 81 of the same Constitution defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 years.
A legal expert said in the case where a child is forced into marriage the one who forces the child into the marriage is the one guilty of pledging the child, the man who has married her is the accomplice.

In July Nigerian senators legalised marriage of under-age girls in a bid to reduce unwanted pregnancies which resulted in abortions and deaths, they reasoned.

The law essentially legalises marriage with girl-children and the failure by the senators to remove a controversial clause that legalises the act, has sparked anger in that country.

Among the angry is Nigerian actress Stella Damasus who poured vitriol on the senators through a five-minute video on social media.
Not only did Stella describe the 35 male senators who endorsed the retention of the controversial clause as “randy old paedophiles”, but also described the law itself as “barbaric” and vowed that the country will resist any attempts to make Nigeria a Sharia state.
“Give the girl child pen, not p***s,” said Damasus.

Fellow actress of both Ghanaian and Nigerian heritage Yvonne Okoro has also been equally vocal in condemning the law.
Okoro tweeted: “If the girl isn’t old enough 2 (to) take part in election, then she’s young enuff (enough) not to take an erection.”

An influential Nigerian senator, Ahmed Yerima, is believed to have married a 13-year-old girl.
As pointed out by Dr Chimedza, intense education in wrong cultural and religious beliefs needs to be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

In Zimbabwe the marriage union is no longer a safe haven from HIV infections. Multiple concurrent partners and cross generational sex are the major drivers of new HIV infections in heterosexual marriages.

A report by the National Aids Council of December 2011 noted that 51 percent of new HIV infections were from married couples and those in stable relationships.

“Marriage is no longer the be-all and end-all when it comes to HIV infections. More than 66 000 new infections recorded from our research were from married couples and others who are in steady relationships,” said NAC Monitoring and Evaluation Director Mr Amon Mpofu.

With such statistics forcing a minor into an early marriage is cruel.
Let us give children education. It is the foundation for better life.

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