ZIMBABWE: The Day Chioniso Died Giving Birth

We must put an end to forced early marriage in my country in order to protect the innocent lives of young girls.

By the time the scotch cart reached Nyahuni clinic, Chioniso had run out of screaming energy. Sweat and tears streamed down her face and body. Coming from the village, we had spent two hours on the road, arriving at the only clinic in this farming community at 3am. The village midwife tried to help Chioniso give birth, but, despite contractions, she was not dilated enough: her body simply was not ready for childbirth. It took another hour for the scotch-cart driver to fetch a nurse from her house. When the nurse arrived, she pronounced Chioniso dead.

As a community and as women, the memory of burying Chioniso still haunts us today. She is a reminder of the link between maternal death and child marriage: Chioniso was only 15 years old when her parents forcibly married her off to an old church member in exchange for food and cows.

The above story sounds fictitious, but it is an everyday reality in some parts of Zimbabwe. This country has one of the highest forced marriage rates in the world. As feminist activists, we have vowed never to call it ‘early marriage’, as some do, instead preferring the term ‘early forced marriage’. The girls, given their young age, can rarely make a free and informed decision about their marriage partner, the timing, or the implications of this dubious patriarchal and one-sided commitment. They are forced into marriage for material gain in the face of poverty. Powerful social and cultural norms also normalize and drive this practice despite legislation in place.

On average, one out of three girls in Zimbabwe will be married before her 18th birthday, according to data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In 2011, about 31% of the women aged 20-24 were forcefully married before age 18. Prevalence is highest in Mashonaland Central (50%), followed by Mashonaland West (42%), Masvingo (39%), Mashonaland East (36%), Midlands (31%), Manicaland (30%), Matabeleland North (27%), Harare (19%), Matabeleland South (18%), and Bulawayo (10%).

Child marriage occurs more frequently among girls who are the least educated, poorest, and living in rural areas. In 2011, women aged 20-24 living in rural areas were about twice as likely to be married/in union before age 18 than their urban counterparts. This urban-rural divide has remained at roughly the same level since 2006. Girls from the poorest 20% of households were more than four times as likely to be married/in union before age 18 than girls from the richest 20% of households.

Zimbabwe has been rated number 39 out of the 41 nations with the highest rates of child marriages globally, and the fear is that if child marriages are not curbed through legislative measures, the figures could escalate. UNFPA reports that if countries that still practice child marriage do not outlaw it by 2030, the number of child brides would grow from 14. 2 million girls in 2010 to 15. 1 million girls in 2030.

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development (MWAGCD) is working with UN Women, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, and civil society to align laws such as the Customary Marriages Act, the Domestic Violence Act, and others that address marriage and sexual age of consent with the new Constitution to fully protect girls against forced early child marriages.

There has been progress, but we still have a long way to go. Zimbabwe has a gender sensitive Constitution that protects children, but what is lacking is enforcement.

The Constitution only started being operational in May 2013. Several laws—including those that deal with children’s rights—have not yet been implemented. The government needs to invest resources and to focus on implementation if girls are to be protected from forced early child marriages. Focus should also be on educating traditional leaders, religious leaders, and cults to ensure they understand the regulatory framework with regard to child marriage. The police and the Ministry of Justice also need to work hand in hand with women’s groups and the MWAGCD to ensure enforcement.

Education is also key to eradicating child marriage. According to UNFPA, “Being in school can support the perception that girls are still children and hence not marriageable. Schooling helps a girl develop social networks and acquire skills and information, all of which contribute to her ability to communicate, negotiate for her best interests and participate in decisions that affect her life. ” Therefore, the Ministry of Education must work hard to ensure that all girls are in school, bringing to the attention of the police all parents who deny their girl children an education. Most of all, the government of Zimbabwe must ensure education is free for all.

Practically, for ngos doing women’s rights work, girls need life skills training, safe spaces to discuss their futures, information about their options, and development of support networks so that they are equipped with knowledge and skills in areas relevant to their lives including sexual reproductive health, nutrition, and their rights under the law. Katswe Sisterhood, an NGO funded by UN Women, is working hard in rural areas to mitigate this problem by providing education on child rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, and maternal health rights.

The dilemma and challenge is how to avoid being misunderstood. All women and girls, no matter their age, should have access to maternal health care—but how do you promote the special maternal health needs of girls below 18 years without making those with patriarchal masculinity believe that rape is legitimate because help will always come?

I think of Chioniso, and the day she died trying to bring life into this world. We must put an end to forced early marriage in my country in order to protect the innocent lives of young girls. It is a matter of life and death, and a matter we must take seriously.

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About this story

This story was written for the World Pulse and No CeilingsPath to Participation Initiative. With this initiative, we crowdsourced stories from World Pulse's global community to helpturn theNo Ceilings: The Full Participation Reportinto a blueprint for action on the ground. Click hereto browse through the126 submissions we received from over 30 countries.