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Report on the Reappropriation of the ‘Nhanga’ Tradition in Zimbabwe to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

In Zimbabwe, a traditional practice known as “Nhanga” is being fundamentally transformed from a system perpetuating harmful practices into a modern initiative aimed at empowering young women. This report details this transformation, with a significant focus on its alignment with and contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

Historical Context: A Barrier to Gender Equality (SDG 5)

Historically, the “Nhanga,” or “girls’ bedroom,” was a guarded, female-only space where adolescent girls were groomed for child marriage. The instruction within this space was antithetical to modern development goals.

• Violation of SDG 5: The primary purpose was to teach girls obedience and how to sexually satisfy adult husbands, reinforcing gender inequality and harmful traditional practices.
• Barrier to SDG 4: The curriculum focused on domestic duties such as carrying water, gathering firewood, and tending fields, preparing girls for a life as junior wives rather than for educational or economic opportunities.
• Harmful Practices: The rites of passage sometimes included “mild forms of physical mutilation” to render girls “eligible” for a bride-price, a direct contravention of goals related to health and well-being (SDG 3).

The Modern Nhanga: A Catalyst for Sustainable Development

In communities like Shamva, the Nhanga has been re-envisioned as a safe space that actively promotes the empowerment of girls, directly addressing several SDGs.

Fostering Gender Equality and Quality Education (SDG 5 & SDG 4)

The contemporary Nhanga serves as a forum for candid discussion and mentorship, empowering girls to resist child marriage, a practice the UN deems a “national emergency” in Zimbabwe, where one in three girls marries before 18.

1. Education and Empowerment: Guided by mentors, girls discuss critical topics including sexuality, gender bias, education, and economic empowerment, providing them with the knowledge to make informed life choices.
2. Reclaiming Education: The initiative provides a pathway back to education for survivors of child marriage. Samantha Chidodo, forced into marriage at 17, is now a final-year law student after receiving support from the Rozaria Memorial Trust, a pioneer of the modern Nhanga model. This directly supports the target of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4).
3. Peer-to-Peer Influence: The model leverages positive peer pressure to encourage educational attainment and personal development, as noted by 18-year-old mentor Anita Razo.

Strengthening Justice and Institutions (SDG 16)

While Zimbabwe has banned child marriage, enforcement remains a challenge. The new Nhanga model works in tandem with community leadership to strengthen local governance and accountability.

• Community-Level Enforcement: Village leaders now actively enforce rules against early marriage, reporting offenders to the police.
• Innovative Justice Mechanism: A fine, typically a cow, is levied against offenders. This asset is held in trust by the local chief specifically for the girl’s education, creating a direct link between justice and the advancement of SDG 4. This ensures she can return to school without financial barriers.

Challenges and Strategic Outlook for Achieving Global Goals

Despite significant progress, challenges remain in shifting deeply entrenched cultural attitudes. The success of the Nhanga model offers a blueprint for a multi-faceted approach to achieving the SDGs.

Overcoming Social Norms and Advancing SDG Targets

The primary obstacle identified is the perspective among some adults who view child marriage as a form of punishment for perceived indiscipline, highlighting the gap between policy and social norms.

1. A Dual Approach: As stated by Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, founder of the Rozaria Memorial Trust and U.N. Women Deputy Executive Director, achieving sustainable change requires both strong laws (SDG 16) and a fundamental shift in community social norms (SDG 5).
2. Girl-Centric Solutions: The long-term solution involves empowering girls themselves. The success of the Nhanga, which has grown from 20 to over 200 participants in one village and is being adopted by schools, demonstrates the power of community-based, girl-led initiatives in driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the transformation of the “Nhanga” practice in Zimbabwe addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus is on empowering young girls and combating child marriage, which directly links to goals concerning gender equality, education, health, and justice.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is the most central SDG. The article’s core theme is the fight against child marriage, a harmful practice rooted in gender inequality. The modern Nhanga serves as a “safe space” to discuss gender bias and empower girls, directly aiming to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The article explicitly links child marriage to the disruption of education. It highlights the story of Samantha Chidodo, who returned to school after an early marriage, and notes that fines collected from offenders are used to fund the girl’s education, ensuring she can “return to school without financial worries.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The issues of teen pregnancy and the physical and mental health consequences of child marriage are discussed. The Nhanga sessions provide a platform for girls to candidly discuss sexuality, which contributes to their sexual and reproductive health knowledge. Samantha’s story of being a teen mother, “oblivious that I needed to breastfeed,” illustrates the health risks involved.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article touches upon the legal framework, stating that Zimbabwe has “banned child marriage” but suffers from “lax law enforcement.” The community-level initiative to report offenders to the police and impose fines represents an effort to strengthen local justice mechanisms and promote the rule of law.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: Poverty is identified as one of the root causes for the persistence of child marriage. The article implies a link between empowerment and poverty reduction, noting that after participating in the Nhanga, some girls “started projects,” indicating a move towards economic empowerment.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified as directly relevant to the efforts described in the article.

1. Target 5.3 (under SDG 5): “Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.” The entire article is focused on the community-led effort to end child marriage in Zimbabwe, a practice the UN Children’s Fund calls “a national emergency.” The transformation of the Nhanga is a direct action towards achieving this target.
2. Target 4.1 (under SDG 4): “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education…” The article supports this target by showing how the Rozaria Memorial Trust helps girls leave early marriages and “return to school.” The community fine system, where a cow is held in trust “for the girl’s education,” is a mechanism designed to ensure girls can complete their schooling.
3. Target 16.2 (under SDG 16): “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” Child marriage is explicitly framed as a violation of children’s rights. Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, deputy executive director at U.N. Women, is quoted labeling child marriage as “essentially rape and sexual exploitation,” aligning the fight against it with this target.
4. Target 3.7 (under SDG 3): “By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education…” The modern Nhanga provides a space where girls “candidly discuss sexuality” and “teen pregnancy,” which serves as a form of education and information dissemination crucial to this target.
5. Target 5.6 (under SDG 5): “Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights…” Similar to Target 3.7, the discussions on sexuality within the Nhanga empower girls with knowledge about their bodies and rights, which is a foundational step toward achieving this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides both explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure progress in the fight against child marriage and for girls’ empowerment in Zimbabwe.

• Prevalence of Child Marriage: The article directly cites a key indicator for Target 5.3: the proportion of girls married before the age of 18. It states that in Zimbabwe, “one in three girls marries before 18.” A reduction in this statistic would be a primary measure of progress.
• Participation in Empowerment Programs: The growth of the modern Nhanga program is a strong indicator of changing social norms. The article notes the number of participants in one village grew from “about 20 girls” to “more than 200 girls.” The adoption of the model by “many schools across Zimbabwe” is another qualitative indicator of its success and reach.
• Educational Attainment: The number of girls who re-enroll and complete their education after escaping child marriage is an implied indicator for Target 4.1. Samantha Chidodo’s journey to becoming a “final-year law student” is presented as a success story, suggesting that educational outcomes are a key metric.
• Enforcement of Laws: An indicator for progress under Target 16.2 is the effectiveness of local justice systems. The article implies this can be measured by the number of “offenders reported to the police” and the number of fines (a cow) levied by community leaders to fund the girls’ education.
• Economic Empowerment: The article implies an indicator for economic progress by mentioning that after the initial program, some of the girls “started projects.” The number of girls initiating economic activities or pursuing higher education and professional careers can be used to measure long-term empowerment.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: the-express.com