Children marching for Education

At 10am Tuesday 11 April 2017 Bulawayo based child members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) will march under the theme “Free Acceptable Education to Develop the Nation”.

The march will begin at the public library on the corner of 8th Avenue and Fort Street, proceed up towards Herbert Chitepo turning in toward the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex where they will hand over a petition. Over 200 child human rights defenders are expected to participate alongside 100 child mentors and Women Human Rights Defenders.

This march is a result of considerable civic education with child members since 2010 and forms part of WOZA ongoing campaigning for the full realisation of the right to education and the demand that the government of Zimbabwe fulfil its obligations to progressively realise this right.

The aim of the march is to provide children with a platform to freely express their views and opinions on matters that affect them; making them public knowledge for positive action to be taken.

Child participation is one of the core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); which asserts that children and young people have the right to freely express their views and that there is an obligation to listen to children’s views and facilitate their participation in all matters affecting their lives. The Constitution of Zimbabwe also provides for the right to participation in Section 61 – which states that “Children have the right to express themselves freely, and seek ideas and information” and in Section 81(1) (a) which puts emphasis on the right to be heard.

WOZA are known for civil disobedience protests since formation in 2002 but for this march, WOZA has formally invited the Zimbabwe Republic Police to the event and to participate alongside the human rights defenders. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission has also been invited to observe the peaceful procession in central Bulawayo.
see what the children have to say through poetry
Childrens POEMS for the march