The Forum for African Women Educationalists in Zimbabwe (FAWEZI), in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and with support from UNICEF, launched the Adolescent Girls Programme during the national commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child at Seke 5 High School in Chitungwiza. The event was held under the global theme “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” celebrating the resilience, leadership, and transformative power of adolescent girls.

The programme, titled Resilient, Innovative, Skilled, and Empowered Girls (RISE), seeks to strengthen girls’ agency and opportunities through STEM education, leadership development, and life skills. The launch convened adolescent girls and boys, teachers, parents, government representatives, civil society organisations, and development partners, including CAMFED, creating a dynamic platform for dialogue, reflection, and collective action.

Officiating the launch, UNICEF Representative to Zimbabwe, Ms Etona Ekole, underscored the importance of centring girls’ voices and leadership.

“As we gather today to launch this adolescent girls’ programme, we also celebrate the International Day of the Girl. This is a day when we take time to celebrate girls everywhere: their voices, their leadership, and their power to shape a better future,” she said.

Reflecting on the programme’s theme, Ms Ekole emphasised that adolescent girls are not passive victims of crisis but active leaders and change agents.

“This theme could not have come at a better time. It reminds us that girls are not just survivors of crisis; they are leaders, innovators, and changemakers standing on the frontlines of climate change, poverty, and inequality every single day,” she noted.

She highlighted persistent structural challenges facing girls in Zimbabwe, including child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, and HIV, stressing the urgency of coordinated, sustained investment in girls’ education and wellbeing.

Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ms Itai Zinzombe, Director of Gender Mainstreaming, Inclusivity and Wellness, commended the strong partnership between UNICEF and FAWEZI and reaffirmed government’s commitment to advancing gender equality in education.

“As the Ministry, we take pride in our ongoing collaboration with partners like UNICEF and FAWEZI, who have consistently supported national efforts to advance gender equality in education. This is really serious. We have come a long way,” she said.

Ms Zinzombe emphasised the importance of protecting girls’ right to education, particularly for adolescent mothers.

“We don’t say re-entry; we say continuation. If you fall pregnant, you don’t stop education—you continue. Pregnancy is not an illness,” she said, calling for education systems that support, rather than exclude, girls facing adversity.

FAWEZI Executive Director, Ms Lydia Madyirapanze, outlined the scope and ambition of the RISE Programme, noting that it will be implemented in Chipinge and Chitungwiza, reaching 24,000 adolescent girls.

“Supported by UNICEF and implemented by FAWEZI in collaboration with Government, the project will reach 24,000 adolescent girls in Chipinge and Chitungwiza,” she said.

She highlighted the intersecting challenges confronting adolescent girls and the programme’s holistic response.

“Adolescent girls face intersecting challenges—high rates of child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, gender-based violence, school dropout, HIV, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health information and services,” Ms Madyirapanze noted.

Emphasising the programme’s transformative vision, she added, “Girls belong in science labs, innovation hubs, and leadership circles just as much as anywhere else. Through mobile science laboratories, STEM clubs, and speed mentorship sessions, girls will experiment, innovate, and lead.”

The programme also prioritises safe and inclusive learning environments through teacher training, community engagement, and advocacy initiatives aimed at challenging harmful gender norms and strengthening accountability to end child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and gender-based violence.

FAWEZI joins partners in celebrating Zimbabwe’s adolescent girls and calls upon all stakeholders to continue investing in girls’ education, wellbeing, and leadership—recognising that when girls rise, communities thrive.