Sexual and Reproductive Health Challenges Encountered by Female Learners and Female Staff at an Institution of Higher Learning in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This chapter seeks to add a harmonious chord to Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 which is in unison with the UN Agenda 2030, particularly Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 5. SDG 3 focuses on promoting healthy lives for all people at all ages. SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls by the year 2030. In this light, the chapter focuses on discussing the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for female learners and female personnel at an institution of higher learning in Zimbabwe. The chapter mainly highlights some of the challenges they wrestle with regard to the infringements of their SRHR. A case study design was adopted for the study. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample comprising thirteen female learners and twelve female personnel. Participation was voluntary. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were audio-recorded with the participants’ consent. Data were coded and then analysed thematically. It emerged that while at policy level the institution promoted the sexual and reproductive health and rights of female learners and staff, religious, socio-cultural and economic factors that constituted the background of the females in question hampered the realisation of these rights. Some females encountered sexual harassment both within and outside the premises of the institution but socio-cultural and religious factors, including victim-blaming attitudes, silenced them. For female staff, the decision on the number of children one can have was also determined by government policy on maternity leave. The study also revealed that the current economic meltdown led some female students to engage in transactional sex in order to make ends meet. The right to sexual orientation was found to be severely curtailed by heteronormativity both within the institution and in the larger Zimbabwean society. It can be concluded that while the Government of Zimbabwe seeks to promote the realisation of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, there are socio-cultural, religious and economic impediments to this. Hence, the chapter recommends that social institutions should inculcate attitudes that promote the observance of sexual and reproductive health rights from a tender age. The chapter comprises the following components: introduction which subsumes background information on SRHR; method, results and discussion and, finally, conclusion and recommendations.KeywordsFemale staffFemale studentsHigher learningSexual healthReproductive healthSexual and reproductive health rightsZimbabwe