Plan International commemorates International Day of the Girl Child
INTERNATIONAL Day of the Girl has been commemorated on October 11 every year since 2012. A number of programmes were lined up across the country to commemorate the day.
Plan International and its partners joined hands to remember this important day as it is driven by a vision to see a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
For Manicaland, the climax of IDG activities was the commemoration event that took place at Meikles Park for less than two hours.
A total of 102 people, among them 43 children and young people, took part at the annual event.
There were representatives from traditional leaders (Chief Mutasa), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mutare District Schools Inspector (Mr Creezin Chofamba), the District Development Co-ordinator (DDC) represented by Mr Mandipaka, the provincial head for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya) and the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation (Mrs Theresa Mupanduki), the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit department led by (Sergeant Kuseka), Mutare District Head for the Department of Social Development represented by Ms Isabel Chabatabere and other partners from Justice for Children Trust, Simukai, Musasa and chaperons for drum majorettes from Chikanga Primary School, among others.
The guest of honour was Junior Member of National Assembly representing Special Constituency of People with Disabilities, Honourable Tanaka Mukuhwa.
Hon Mukuhwa is also the president of Young People’s Network on Child Marriages, Abuses and Rights (YPNCMAR) and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). He is also junior Country Director for Zimbabwe and Malawi.
In his speech, Hon Mukuhwa quoted Section 80 of the Constitution which speaks on the rights of children and urged girls in all their diversities be it, race, sexuality and disability, just to mention a few, to report harassment.
To girls and young women, he said: “Break the silence and do not hide your pain, lest you suffocate.”
He called on organisations and the whole nation to intervene and save the girl child. He also urged the girl child to be the game changer for her life and to stand up for her rights.
Ms Precious Babbage from Plan International shared how the International Day of the Girl emerged and unpacked the theme: “Free to be on line”.
She called on everyone to make concerted efforts to see to it that girls and young women are not harassed online, especially considering that they now spend more time online as online learning is now a popular learning mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief Mutasa said as a Gender Champion, he is saddened by the online abuse and harassment that girls and young women are facing.
He called on legislators to come up with punitive laws for perpetrators.
Representatives from all Government ministries that were present gave solidarity messages to girls and young women and urged them to report any forms of harassment to law enforcement agents so that perpetrators will be brought to book, a move that will act as a deterrent to would-be offenders.
Twenty drummies from Chikanga Primary School entertained the gathering with dances.
Manicaland’s first commercial radio station, Diamond FM’s DJs Tadiwa Dzama and Christopher Siduna also provided entertainment.
The event had a one-hour slot of Open Broadcasting to allow those who could not make it to the venue due to the restricted numbers at gatherings to participate from home.
Some of the girls present got a lifetime opportunity of being live on air.
Young people helped in pitching up the banners for the event and later on took to the dance floor as they celebrated their day. Boys were standing as allies for girls and celebrated together with them.
Mrs Mukuze, the Mutare District Provincial Head for Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development who was also the director of ceremony applauded Plan International for collaborating efforts by Government line ministries, children, young people and other stakeholders to commemorate this important day.
Plan International also partnered with Diamond FM to have live studio sessions for young people to share their thoughts around the IDG theme with host DJ Lampy.
Runner-up radio sessions on International
Day of the Girl were also aired live on Diamond FM during the week culminating to the day. On October 11, six young people had a live discussion on Diamond FM. During this session, the Junior Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Robert Tungwarara urged girls to stand up for each other (sisterhood approach) and support their fellow colleagues facing online harassment. He encouraged them to report and expose the abusers.
The team that included Hons Zvikomborero Matsito, Charleen Chimboza, Lisa Easther Ngwenya, Panashe Katsidzira and Panashe Marisa sent out messages advocating against online harassment as it robs girls and young women of their dignity and subjects them to emotional instability.
Hons Chimboza and Ngwenya shared their own heart-rending personal experiences of online harassment.
One of the young Girls Rights Advocate, Naume Manyengawana from Mafararikwa ward of Marange in Mutare District participated via her mobile phone as she emptied her sentiments on the abuse and harassment of girls and young people online.
“Being a girl does not warrant getting abused or harassed. It is not a key to have my rights locked,” said Naume.
In a radio session, a young woman Junior Rusere shared how some girls who were born light skinned are being accused of taking some chemicals to become “Yellow borne”. She said it really hurts.
Another young person from Mutare, Yvonne Mukupe, urged parents to put in place measures to protect their children from online violence. Parents need to be in good talking terms with their children so that they can open up and ask for help from them in the event that they face harassment. Plan International uses a multi-sectoral approach and works with partnerships. One of Plan’s partners, ChildLine, represented by Progress Mukuvisi, also featured on one of the radio sessions.
Ms Babbage shared how Plan International carried out a survey in 22 countries with 14 000 girls and young women, with more than 50 percent of them testifying having experienced online harassment.
In addition, Plan International officially launched the state of the World Girls report across the globe on the abuse and harassment girls face online with an open letter to the major social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The platforms are being encouraged to address their reporting mechanisms.
Ms Babbage also shared how Plan International played an important role in the establishment of this day as Plan International Canada along with its partners dialogued with the UN committee on violations of rights of the girl until October 11 was established in 2012 as the International Day of the Girl.
October 11 is a day to pause and flag issues affecting the girl child so that they can be addressed so that the girl child can reach her full potential.
Online harassment can be defined as passing of harmful comments online to someone based on their sexual or gender identity.
It includes bullying, sex based harassment, defamation, hate speech, exploitation and gender trolling.
This comes in the form of threats of physical and sexual violence, racist comments, body shaming and stalking.
With Covid-19 driving more of our lives online, and with internet access around the world improving, it is crucial for these issues to be addressed. In commemorating the International Day of the Girl, Plan Manicaland Programme Area also participated in the Jerusalem Dance Challenge and dedicated it to the protection and safeguarding of children and young women from online abuse and harassment.