Country Networks implementing the Hands-Off project attended a capacity strengthening workshop facilitated by Takudzwa Mhlanga on the 30th of May 2024. The workshop which was designed in line with INERELA+ capacity building plans covered important aspects of advocacy and effective communications through social media platforms. INERELA+ engaged the Mazvita Communications a subsidiary of Mayittah Group to develop and add value to INERELA+ communication and media advocacy pieces for the larger targeted Africa and international audience including key stakeholders involved with INERELA+ work and funders. Mazvita Communications are specialists in digital transformation, and they assist us by customizing INERELA+ and Country Networks key messages that we post on our social media platforms. Mazvita Communications also leverage their large social media following to amplify these messages to a larger and key audience in the development sector. Given this approach, INERELA+ Country Networks under Hands-off project through the capacity building plans attended a virtual coaching and mentorship workshop on the effective ways of communicating using social media platforms. The facilitator, besides highlighting the importance of social media in communication, visibility, messaging, and effective ways of communicating, went on to conduct practical reviewing of Country Network Facebooks so they can meet organizational standards. This included the critical analysis of the visuals and quality (pictures, videos, animations) that INERELA+ Country Networks upload on the platforms with the message to the targeted audience. The facilitator strongly emphasized the need for Country Networks to fully utilize the functionalities provided for on Facebook value adding their communication.
Stakeholders Call for Action to End Child Marriages
One woman out of three in Zimbabwe aged 20 to 49 was married before the age of 18. 5% of girls are married before the age of 15. Child marriage is one of the most widespread forms of violence against children. Child marriage disrupts childhood and deprives girls of their right to be a child. Child marriage often leads to school drop-out, not allowing girls to develop their full potential, and early pregnancies when a girl is mentally and physically not yet able to give birth and take care of a young child marriage deprives children of their right to acquire appropriate skills to enter the labour force as adults and pushes them further into poverty. Child marriage also increases the girl’s risk of domestic violence, psychological and physical violence, including sexual violence, and HIV infections. Zimbabwe has recently experienced an increase in teenage pregnancies. One-third of maternal deaths occur amongst adolescents. Child marriage has a negative impact on the development of the country, as girls married before having completed their education are limited in their job employment and their contribution to the economic development of the country.
Poverty is a major correlation of child abuse:
Poverty is a major correlation between child abuse and exploitation, including child marriage. Girls in the poorest communities are six times more likely to experience child marriage than their counterparts in higher wealth countries. For INERELA+ ending child marriage in Zimbabwe and protecting girls against the negative consequences of early marriage needs more than only legislation. It needs behavioural change in the communities. We capacitate Religious Leaders, community leaders and influential champions to advocate in their communities and at national and regional level against child marriage. INERELA+ Zimbabwe role model and East and Southern Africa HIVOS (SRHR) Fund ambassador Elder Paul Juru is very influential at Regional, national and community level where he stands-up and raise his voice in favour of a positive change in perception of the role of girls in society as evidenced under the link below.
Stakeholders call for action to end child marriages