As adolescent girls traverse the path from childhood to womanhood, their sexual and reproductive health and rights become even more consequential. With a newfound ability and desire to make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their world, they are speaking up about their needs and their dreams. It is time for us to listen.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is calling attention to the vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls especially during the COVID-19 crisis, and to why protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights and ending gender-based violence is an imperative, especially in these challenging times.

Girls in Zimbabwe, as in the world over, face myriad challenges, including gender-based discriminations that result in less opportunities across a range of sectors like education, training and employment, compared with boys.