Ekenia Chifamba

Ekenia Chifamba is a Zimbabwean girl's rights activist and advocate. She is also the founder of Shamwari Yemwanasikana (SYS), an organization founded to address systemic injustices. Quotes I realized that true change could only happen if girls were empowered to become agents of their own transformation Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a major issue, affecting thousands of girls worldwide Girls in Zimbabwe face numerous challenges, including gender-based violence, child marriages, school dropouts, poverty, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services We are not just helping girls stay in school—we are equipping them with leadership and advocacy skills The Dandaro Revasikana initiative offers a safe space where girls can discuss personal struggles and receive emotional support. Workshops on self-esteem, leadership, and life skills further equip them with resilience and confidence. By integrating digital platforms, peer support groups, and community dialogues, SYS ensures that mental health is prioritized in every aspect of girls’ empowerment Emotional resilience is just as important as financial independence. Girls need to heal before they can fully embrace their potential We want to create economic opportunities that are sustainable and forward-thinking Mwana ndewemunhu wese—every child belongs to all of us. It is our collective responsibility to uplift and protect them Ekenia Chifamba: Championing Girls’ Rights and Gender Equality in Zimbabwe We have engaged the Church because that is where many people meet, and the Church should help us spread SRHR information In most cases, the Church is not ready to discuss such issues. We are therefore calling on church leaders to lead the conversation on SRHR In some extreme cases, girls are losing their lives because of illegal backyard abortions The Church has a critical role to play in ensuring the girl-child is protected from abuse. SRHR education is very critical because many girls are in danger. Some are being impregnated while still very young. We are emphasising that issues of rape and incest must be condemned, and the Church must take the lead Ekenia Chifamba urges the church to champion girls’ rights We decided to visit over 500 women and girls in Chitungwiza where we combined the efforts with Agape Family Care to bring cheers to the vulnerable individuals there It was part of the commemoration of International Women’s Day and we are in the women’s month We are looking at the importance of women and girls’ rights We thought we would prioritise their needs since women and girls go through hard times during that time of the month We see our young girls suffer from where some even miss school for the five days of the month and even mental health In Chitungwiza there is a challenge of water and we care calling for everyone to carry the burden with the girls The sanitary wear should be provided in schools freely to every girl and this is a call to action that women’s reproductive health is guaranteed Women’s sexual reproductive health is important and the girls’ dignity and rights should be upheld Need for upholding women, girls’ mental health,25 March 2025 We are dealing with Covid-19 as a pandemic, but this (child marriages) is a pandemic within a pandemic. The law should be strengthened to protect young girls The issue of child marriages is happening everywhere. Girls are being taken advantage of and for me to say child marriages it’s an understatement. This is rape because we are talking of an under 18, which the constitution of Zimbabwe says is a child For me, these are young girls as long as they are below the ages of 18. They are children, even as they make certain decisions in life you realize that these are uninformed decisions We are having so many of these perpetrators walking free because the law fails to fully protect and support these young girls I’ll refer to the Memory issue and I think something could have been done by Memory’s mother or relatives to say no even if we believe in this church can’t we at least seek justice and say this is wrong there’s no way a 14-year-old can give birth at a shrine and make it These issues are taken to pastors. I don’t understand what sort of counselling is given to a rapist and telling him never to do it again. And yet he’s coming from a family where he is capable of doing it to his children The legal frameworks are important. The moment we have them and they are being implemented then we know it sets an example for every other perpetrator out there. It sends a message that it’s prohibited and it’s a crime I strongly believe that we are in a position as Civil Society Organizations to make a breakthrough with support from the government Child Marriages: A Pandemic within a pandemic,13 August 2021