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State of female students' sexual, reproductive health and rights in Zim tertiary institutions
Students And Youths Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT)
October 10, 2008

The Students And Youths Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) is a civil society organisation formed in December 2003 after realizing the absence of a platform where students can meet to discuss their reproductive health in order to take up their challenges with policy-makers while at the same time taking responsibility for their own health. The presence of such a platform would also create an environment that makes it possible to track global trends and interventions on reproductive health so as to ensure that students are not left out in the global targets and goals for better reproductive health fate. SAYWHAT activities are centred on information sharing, networking and advocacy and support provision to students on sexual and reproductive health.

On the 4th of October 2008 female students from twenty-one tertiary institutions of learning convened in Harare to discuss their reproductive health on campus. Informed from the background that many commitments, targets and declarations have been made on women empowerment, with little effect on the health of young women, this edition of the Female Students' Conference on Sexual, Reproductive health and Rights was held under the theme 'Time running Out to Deliver for Female Students' Reproductive Health! Let's change our perceptions!'

Delegates to the conference discussed and agreed:

• That the state of female students' reproductive health is not desirable and requires immediate action to avoid a disaster of catastrophic proportions. Female students are; prone to sexual harassment, unplanned pregnancies due to inadequate knowledge on and inaccessibility of contraceptives; disproportionately infected and affected by HIV; cannot afford highly priced and inaccessible sanitary wear. These challenges have given reproductive health challenges in tertiary institutions the face of a female student.
• That pledges, declarations, protocols and commitments made for women empowerment especially to improve their reproductive health have not been honoured. Half-the-journey into the timeline of the MDGs, not significant strides have been made to change the reproductive health fortunes of women especially young women and students. The women's health priority area of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action has not received adequate attention from the Zimbabwean government. The obtaining reality on the ground testifies that we are running out of time to deliver for the reproductive health of female students.
• That responding to the HIV pandemic on campus requires addressing gender disparities that prevail in the Zimbabwean societies and empowerment of female students. An ultimate solution to the problem of HIV and AIDS on college campuses is the provision of a full package of prevention, treatment, care and support services. When any of these services are not made available stigma and discrimination becomes rife and females are more prone to stigma than males. Young women with disabilities need attention as they have increased vulnerability to HIV. Zimbabwean tertiary institutions of learning are not prepared to support positive living on campus and HIV positive students, mostly female, cannot access the right diet and treatment services.

As SAYWHAT, we reiterate our commitment to improving the reproductive health of female students and young women in general. We, however, realise that health is a shared responsibility. We therefore call upon the government, civil society organisations, the private sector, the church, individuals and concerned stakeholders to intervene in order to create an environment where female students and young women enjoy their full sexual, reproductive health and rights.

Visit the SAYWHAT fact sheet

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