Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. WOMEN’S Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) chairperson, Muchanyara Mukamuri, has described the recent launch of the Girl Child Cluster as a bold and visionary step towards empowering young girls to become active participants in shaping their communities and the nation at large.
The cluster was launched on Thursday last week by WCoZ, amid an environment where cases of abuse and exploitation are rising.
She said by instilling a sense of agency and civic responsibility early, it empowered them to advocate for their rights, take up leadership roles, and shape the future of their communities.
“This initiative is rooted in the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe’s 2025-30 Strategic Plan, which recognised the urgent need to establish a dedicated platform focused on championing the rights, agency and well-being of the girl child,” Mukamuri said.
“We gather here to affirm a powerful truth: the journey of women’s participation in governance must begin early. We must equip our girls with the knowledge, confidence and tools necessary for meaningful civic engagement.”
She added that governance was not a space reserved for adults alone but a shared space where the voices of the youth, especially young girls, must be heard, respected and acted upon.
“The recent launch of the Youth Empowerment Strategy by the Ministry of Youth presents a timely opportunity. Its impact will be profoundly strengthened when our girls are nurtured from a young age, guided through their formative years with mentorship, education and exposure to leadership pathways.
“By instilling a sense of agency and civic responsibility early on, we empower them to advocate for their rights, take up leadership roles and shape the future of their communities.”
With the launch of the Girl Child Cluster, WCoZ now operates eleven thematic clusters, expanding from the original 10.
“This growth reflects our deepening commitment to addressing the diverse needs and rights of women and girls across the country,” Mukamuri said.
Speaking at the same event, Reverend Taylor Nyanhete said there was need to come up with mitigatory measures to ensure the “girl child has adequate information, and is also protected when it comes to this issue”.
“Because when we look at the girl child as part of the development process, without the woman, there is no society,” he said.
“Let’s begin to empower the girl child so that they take proper leadership roles, and also, there is an opportunity that girls are agents of change in our communities. There is no doubt about that. I want to point out that it is important that, as we programme, we have data dis-advocation all the time within our programme. Statistics are vital. Those are the only ways to convince the government to say, ‘You need to change the way you are approaching this issue.”
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