Pada Platform sets out to deal with abusers of girl child
Zim Now Writer
Pada Platform has started a whistle-blowing initiative aimed at helping young girls who are being sexually abused or girls under the age of 18 who have been married off.
The initiative comes after several reports of minor girls have been reported dead, pregnant or victims of sexual violence.
The programme allows people to report anonymously on young girls who are being abused in their communities.
Speaking to ZimNow, Pada Platform Director Karen Mukwasi said it is now up to the community to help stop abuse against the girl child.
“As a community, we have a responsibility to protect young girls from being sexually abused or being married off to older men. It is time we call out and act against these atrocities.
“We all know it's a crime for a girl under 18 to be married, but the society is only coming out when something has already happened. Blow the whistle before anything happens and get the perpetrators arrested.
“Mothers and female guardians have become complicit to perpetrators as they remain quiet when their own children are being abused or married off by their fathers to older men. As Pada Platform, we want to get justice for young girls and we are calling on the society to help us do so,” she said.
A-17-year-old Bulawayo girl was reported to have died last week, days after giving birth to twins.
Confidence Msimanga who lived with her mother in Makokoba suburb delivered through Caesarean section.
A postmortem revealed she died due to acute pulmonary edema.
Msimanga’s mother, Precious Msimanga said her daughter was always discreet and refused to reveal who had impregnated her.
“She delivered the twins through an operation with no complications and was discharged three days later from Mpilo Central Hospital.
“She even went for her seven-day check-up at the hospital where doctors said she was doing fine and her wound was healing. Last Thursday evening, she started complaining about difficulties in breathing and we rushed her to Mpilo Central Hospital but she died before admission,” she said.
A 9-year-old Tsholotsho girl gave birth after she was reportedly raped. The minor went through early puberty to conceive earlier than usual.
The father of the minor was arrested on 29 August when it was discovered that she was pregnant.
Contact Pada Platform
WhatsApp - +263773021484
+263 77 692 1246
Calls
+263 77 500 8210
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