Consultancy to support the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED) in the development on a National Action Plan on Ending Child Marriage in Zimbabwe.

Child marriages in Zimbabwe remains a significant human rights and development challenge, disproportionately affecting girls, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. Over 33% of girls are married before 18, making this not just a statistic, but a national emergency demanding urgent action. Despite notable progress in policy and legal reforms, the practice persists due to a complex interplay of socio-economic, cultural, and religious factors.

Poverty, limited access to education, harmful cultural norms, and certain religious practices continue to drive child marriages. Girls are often married off early as a coping mechanism for economic hardship, to preserve family honor, or in response to unintended pregnancies. These practices are further exacerbated by gender inequality, weak enforcement of existing laws, and gaps in awareness at community level.

Child marriage has far-reaching consequences, including curtailed educational opportunities, increased risk of gender-based violence, early and unintended pregnancies, and adverse health outcomes for girls and their children. It also undermines national development efforts by limiting the potential of a significant proportion of the population.

The Government of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with development partners and civil society organizations, has undertaken various initiatives to address child marriage, including the development of the National Action Plan and communication Strategy on Ending Child Marriages (NAP). The NAP was designed to operationalize national child protection laws enshrined in the Constitution and other policies that respond to child marriage prevention and protection through  national, provincial, and district level interventions. It has guided national efforts to prevent child marriages and mitigate their effects.

However, persistent gaps in coordination, implementation, and monitoring highlight the need for strengthened, evidence-based interventions. It is within this context that this consultancy seeks to support ongoing national efforts by providing technical expertise towards the development of a new National Action Plan that will align with current social and economic developments that have a bearing on child marriages as well as changes in the legal framework, which also influence response efforts towards child marriages. The new NAP will ensure that efforts to address child marriages remain responsive to the current needs of children.