While Zimbabwe is fighting against rape and Child marriages, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare is reportedly pushing for the age of sexual consent to be reduced to 12 years.
The current age of sexual consent is 16 years , which in some social circles is regarded as too low.
Acting Assistant Clerk of parliament Johane Gandiwa said the issue of reducing the age of sexual consent to 12 years was actually discussed by the Health and Child Welfare committee last week during a workshop.
In reaction to those sentiments, a lawyer and former MDC legislator and MP for Harare West Jessie Majome said:
I remember how we fought so hard in the 8th Parliament with Innocent Gonese and Priscilla Misihairabwi in the Committee stage of the Criminal Codification Reform Amendment Bill to raise the consent age from 14 to 18 and got 16, now it can just blow away in 2 fell swoops!
…During the debate I advocated for a referendum on the age of consent as a way of resolving that critical national issue and pleaded that for once we hold a referendum on something that actually touches our lives in a direct way, not just politics.
