Girls Empowerment clubs remain the cornerstone of their development into leaders whilst ensuring there is no victim in the community. The work done by Sister Itayi Marembo with girls clubs in Metebeleland, Zimbabwe is worth supporting and using as a model for effective transformation programs for girls. At the centre of these girls clubs is a platform where girls are empowered and protected from abuse. The cost of helping a girl who is abused is costly and so girls clubs provide the safety net.
Zimbabwe's economic problems are exacerbating violence against women and their sexual exploitation. In Zimbabwe, rape is endemic, with more than 20% of women reporting that their first sexual encounter was forced and a 30% of married women live with physical violence. Unemployment is currently at 94 percent and sexual exploitation / early marriage have become the rule.
Our approach conforms to our notion of empowerment, which we define as a process of instilling girls with the necessary knowledge and skills, facilitating their confidence and determination and thereafter providing the financial means for a girl to come up with an innovative self help project. GCNW has girls empowerment clubs where girls give peer to peer support, Girls Empowerment Villages provide shelter from violence and Girls Empowerment Fund provides grants for girls innovative projects.
By mobilizing 1000 girls to empowerment programs and supporting Sister Itayi Marembo and her girls, we are making a statement on the urgent need to proactively eliminate gross violations of girls rights and ensure an environment where girls enjoy their full rights and reach their potential.Girls who have emerged as leaders need support with training, resource mobilization and setting up themselves to implement effective programs that promote their development.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
