THE MDC ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY OF WOMEN CELEBRATES THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD

Today the 11th of October, we join hands with our girls in celebrating the International Day of the Girl Child under the theme “My voice, our equal future” It is on this day when girls are helped to realise their dreams by supporting them and listening to them.

Today we mourn the collapse of the education sector in Zimbabwe where teachers are on strike and our children are not going to school. We all know that education is the key to success and as mothers and leaders in the society we can only help our girls realise their dreams by giving them their right to education. How then can this be possible when schools are not open? The pictures and audios that are going viral about what the boys and girls are doing in schools alone without teachers is really a cause for concern. We urge the government to fix the incapacitation of our teachers by engaging them and rewarding them a living wage.

This year’s theme focuses on inclusion, gender equality and listening to what the girls want, their dreams and aspirations. There is need to involve girls in all spheres of life and all developmental issues so that we do not experience the gender parities that are being experienced by women at the moment. We can not talk of gender equality without including our girls. It is therefore imperative as AOW to work hand in hand with the girl child so that we achieve gender equality together.

On this International Day of the Girl Child let us all remember that the girls are the new leaders of our time. The future is young and its female.

We wish all our girls in the Youth Assembly, in our homes and the world over a happy International Day of the Girl Child. As MDC Alliance, we shall continue to fight for a people’s government that will recognise and honour the girl child and making them realise their dreams in full.

B Tanyanyiwa
Spokesperson – MDC A Assembly of Women