Concern over child sexual exploitation
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
A non-governmental organisation Hope for Children and Youth foundation has raised concern over rising cases of child sexual exploitation in West Nicholson, Gwanda district, in Matabeleland South Province.
The director of Hope for Children and Youth Foundation, Vusumuzi Ndlovu said children’s rights were being violated by their elders.
“Many girls under the age of 18 are seen being forced and others coerced to sex work which is a violation of the rights of a girl child,” Ndlovu said.
“Most of these young girls doing sex work are being forced into it by their guardians or people who are supposed to protect them. That is an issue of concern because it is the right of a child to have a guardian and a right of a child to be protected from all forms of harm.”
However in this case it is not happening because girls are forced into sexual relations in order to get money and in most instances they are not the ones paid that money but the guardians that force them to do so collect the money.”
Experts say the lockdown regulations, which restricted family members, including girls, to their homes to curb the spread of the pandemic, exposed the girls to intra-familial child sexual abuse.
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises minister, Sithembiso Nyoni, also expressed disquiet that sexual exploitation was rampant in Bulawayo.
“It has also been observed that there is an increase in numbers of young girls who are being sexually exploited here in Bulawayo. Women and girls are being trafficked to other countries and some experience sexual exploitation,” she said
Childline estimates that at least one in three girls and two in five boys are survivors of sexual abuse in Zimbabwe.
