A severe El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa has plunged 56.8 million people into food insecurity, with young women and girls bearing the brunt of the crisis.
ActionAid reports that families are resorting to the heartbreaking practice of marrying off their daughters in exchange for food, highlighting “the urgent need for targeted interventions to protect and empower young women in the region.”
“It is time to prioritise young women’s protection in the face of the devastating impacts of an ongoing El Nino-induced drought in Southern Africa,” ActionAid has stated, as it launched a brief ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for 17 August in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare.
ActionAid has revealed how the drought has accelerated existing inequalities, leaving young women vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
“As food insecurity, economic hardship, and social instability escalate, young women are facing heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and marginalisation’, the statement reads.
Joy Mabenge, Country Director of ActionAid Zimbabwe, emphasized the need for a comprehensive gender analysis of the drought’s impact on women and girls to ensure that government interventions effectively address their needs.
ActionAid urges SADC leaders to take swift action, including providing flexible funding for women-led community protection initiatives and prioritizing the protection of young women and girls.
