Zimbabwe President Inaugurates the 32nd Child Parliament
The Child Parliament creates an inclusive platform for children to advocate for child-friendly legislation and policies in Zimbabwe.
As part of the 2024 Day of the African Child (DAC) commemoration, the President of Zimbabwe officially inaugurated the 32nd Child Parliament on July 3rd, 2024, at the new Parliament in Mt Hampden, Harare. This year's theme, “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now,” resonated deeply throughout the event. The Child Parliament stands as a crucial platform for young voices, enabling children to express their views, tackle issues affecting them and their peers, and bring these concerns directly to the government's and other stakeholders' attention. The inauguration ceremony marked a significant milestone in advocating for inclusive and quality education in Zimbabwe, aligning with the African Union’s 2024 focus on education.
The Children’s Parliament of Zimbabwe was established in 1991 by the Government of Zimbabwe under the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation. It mirrors the structure of the senior parliament, consisting of a Children’s Senate and lower House of Assembly, with each constituency having a child representative. The Child Parliamentarians, aged between 12 and 18, are sworn in to represent their peers in all the ten provinces across Zimbabwe. This creates an inclusive platform for them to advocate for child-friendly legislation and policies through effective and meaningful participation in governance. The Child Parliament is also a unique opportunity for the Child Parliamentarians to be capacitated and gain leadership skills.
Child Parliamentarians are vital in advocating for the rights of children in Zimbabwe. Over the years, they have played an instrumental role in ensuring that children’s rights are upheld and that issues affecting children from all corners of the country, including those from marginalised communities, are addressed by the government and other stakeholders. The Child Parliament also includes the Child Senate, which consists of former Child Parliamentarians and is advisory to the Child Parliament.
The Child Parliamentarians Education, during the inauguration, spoke strongly on the right to education, aligning with the Day of the African Child theme, and presented issues relating to access to quality and inclusive education for every child in Zimbabwe. The child parliamentarians highlighted long distances to school due to limited schools in rural areas and school fees as the significant barriers to access to education for all children in Zimbabwe. They also highlighted that the government should digitalise all schools; it is also a key priority of the government to digitalise all schools and educate children on safer internet use and the impacts of the digital footprint. Education is their right; however, they should know that it is their responsibility to study, and they encourage all children to. They also expressed their views on issues of drug and substance abuse, child marriage and adolescent pregnancies, which hurt education among children across Zimbabwe and recommended vital interventions on these issues.
UNICEF is dedicated to upholding children's rights and actively empowering them to shape their destinies. UNICEF has supported the Child Parliament since its inception in 1991. Dr Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF Representative ai, addressed the newly elected 32nd Child Parliament at the Parliament Building at Mt Hampden. The Representative highlighted the critical role of the Child Parliamentarians in promoting the rights of children in Zimbabwe, advocating for the government to protect children’s rights, and ensuring no child is left behind.
