This was said at the International Day of the Girl child commemorations held at Harare Polytechnic on October 11.

A SEVEN-YEAR education development program is under way, aiming to support marginalized young people aged 15 to 25 to access higher and tertiary education.

This was said at the International Day of the Girl child commemorations held at Harare Polytechnic on October 11.

The 2024 theme is Girls’ Future Vision.

The event was facilitated by the Zimbabwe African Women Educators Forum (FAWEZI), supported by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) and the Zimbabwe Education Coalition.

It brought together education stakeholders, FAWEZI graduates, Seke 3 and 5 students including Seke Mhuriimwe High Schools.

The schools are part of FAWEZI’s project involving schools in Chitungwiza.

Harare Polytechnic students and department teachers as well as officials from the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology and the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education also attended the meeting.

Authorities announced that after all legal processes are completed, the program called “Second Chance Pathways to Increase Access to Higher Education for Marginalized Young Women and Men” will be implemented with the support of the African Women Educators Forum Regional Secretariat through the Mastercard Foundation.

“We dream of a Zimbabwe where gender gaps in education are diminishing. Part of what we are doing today is to motivate girls in high school and higher education institutions to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thereby closing existing gaps in terms of access to subjects,” said FAWEZI program manager Nqobile Nkiwane.

The commemorations focused on empowering girls, particularly in STEM and technical vocational education and training.

The event featured panel discussions attended by female students and presentations by STEM role models from different fields who shared their personal journeys and offered mentoring tips.

Topics discussed included the impact of the digital divide on girls in rural areas and the need to motivate girls to pursue STEM courses.

Through panel discussions, young women shared personal experiences that highlighted the challenges they face in school, including menstrual health management, negative peer pressure, body shaming, and sexual harassment during bonding.

“Together, we can create a future where every girl in Zimbabwe has the opportunity to reach her full potential and contribute to the socio-economic transformation of our society,” said ZIMCHE executive officer Barbara Nemachena.

ZIMCHE is a body under the ministry of Higher and Higher Education, established to regulate higher education.

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