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Beauty pageants expose under age girls to sexual abuse
Betty Makoni, Girl Child Network (GCN)
May 18, 2006

Recent media reports featured under age girls holding trophies for winning Miss Rural, Miss legs, Miss Winter, Miss Summer, Miss schools, Miss this and that night club. On the other hand young men and boys feature in the news for excellence in sporting activities and other masculine disciplines like science. It is rare to see a nude young man in any newspaper for patriarchy forbids this!!. The private sector pours millions of dollars in Beauty pageants at the expense of girls’ education and other empowerment initiatives. Media seems keen to give publicity to such events as such news is juicy. Little though is covered by media on many achievements by girls academically and career wise. Daily girls are getting empowered in Zimbabwe and there are many stories to be shared on girls’ achievements socially, economically and politically.

In 2005 only, Girl Child Network recorded 6 000 child sexual abuse cases countrywide 24 of which were allegedly perpetrated by high profile people in business, politics, churches, schools etc. Zimbabwe has the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence among the young female age group of 15-25 in the SADC region and this group is the one targeted by the Beauty Pageants. Rapist to Child transmission of HIV continues to take its toll. Parents, guardians, concerned Zimbabweans, the government and the private sector should support the empowerment and development of young girls in the home, school and community through education, leadership role modeling and encouraging girls to venture into male dominated fields such as engineering, sciences, sports, politics, medicine and business.

Parents and guardians should not trust their girl children to such high risk activities as Beauty Pageants even though they are supported by the so called "officials". Amongst them some but not all "high officials" to grace such Beauty Pageants are morally corrupt womanizers. One such "official" supporting such beauty pageants was caught right handed having sex with his secretary in the office by his wife. The so called officials "gracing such occasions" salivate whenever a bare breasted or half naked girl goes on stage. There are so many reasons to justify indecent exposure of girls and culture and the need to promote and expose the rural and disadvantaged girls to modernity are but some of the reasons.

Given the rate at which young under age school girls are falling pregnant, getting infected with HIV and AIDS, beauty pageants targeting young girls should be brought under microscopic examination. Harmful cultural and religious practices as well as high risk activities such as beauty pageants be it rural or urban areas expose young girls to sugar daddies guised as custodians of culture and most of them are paedophiles and perpetrators of statutory rape. Our experience working with young girls show that at such a tender age, girls cannot negotiate for safer sex and are therefore taken advantage of. Activities such as beauty pageants reduce young girls to sexual objects and given the rate at which girls are being sexually abused in the home, school and community we should develop a culture of prevention and ensure children participate in activities that add value to their growth and development.

Parents and guardians and grandparents of those girls participating in such high risk activities have themselves to blame should a girls fall pregnant, get infected with HIV or raped. Hotels and such public places where beauty pageants are held are patronized by some drunkards who from our experience target young girls. No girl should attend such pageants without their parents, teachers and guardians. There are so many wolves in sheep’s skin.

The private sector who heavily fund such high risk programmes at the expense of programmes such as support for orphans and vulnerable children and girls’ education should think twice about repercussions of such programmes in the future. A lot of girls are reduced to sex objects, get raped, impregnated and jilted by the same business executives. Those government ministries who are said to be supporting such programmes should hold consultative meetings with other stakeholders protecting girl children against societal evils and help come up with girls’ empowerment programs that ensure support for girls as future women leaders walking in the fullness of their potential.

GCN and other child friendly non governmental organisations are closely following beauty pageants events across the country in as far as they disturb the girls focus on education. Those who are genuine about bringing development to the rural girls will do so through support of empowerment programmes in education as there is a dire need out there. Most rural girls are without books, sanitary ware, school fees and exposure to information on science, sports etc. On average a typical genuine rural girl child walks upto 20 kilometres to and from school on bare feet. In this cold winter we should be seen competiting to donate uniforms, jerseys, and tennis shoes and not make up kits, a free bed and breakfast in a hotel or evening wear as is the case.

If as a country we promote high risk programmes we should hold ourselves accountable when our girl children are abused. Concerned Zimbabweans, lets beware. The high profile list of child sexual abusers Girl Child Network has, serves to confirm that those most respected and expected to protect girls are the ones taking advantage of them economically and sexually and as such no child should be trusted to hotels with potential abusers. Lets keep in mind that only 15% girls in Zimbabwe report sexual abuse.

Girl Child Network urgently appeals to the corporate world to fund girls’ education and empowerment programmes. Parents and guardians should take measures to ensure girls are not paraded as sex objects. With over 3000 people dying of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe with the 15-25 female age group mostly affected, Zimbabwe should minimize programmes that expose girls to high risk sexual situations.

GCN will closely monitor such high risk programs like Beauty pageants and ensure no girl under 16 takes part. Parents in the corporate world should support girls’ education and also be in alliance with those working very hard to prevent rape, early sexual activities and HIV and AIDS amongst girls who are the most vulnerable. Media should be out in full force to share stories on girls who are excelling in other fields like sports, science and leadership so that rural girls know that there is more to life than being reduced to sex objects through beauty pageants.

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