The Nightmare of Feminism: 76% of Brides in 25-Million Niger Are Teenagers 0 13

Nhanga is an ancient custom of the Shona people that is being reinterpreted in the modern feminist tradition. Nhanga is a traditional girls' gathering among the Shona, where future wives (almost always teenagers) were prepared for family life, taught obedience, and how to please their husbands.

The non-profit organization Rozaria Memorial Trust from Zimbabwe has been working since 2017 to completely overturn this tradition by introducing the concept of "new nhanga." Now it is a place where girls and women openly discuss sensitive topics: sexuality, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, gender stereotypes, education, and the expansion of economic rights and opportunities. The foundation organizes meetings by age groups, from girls aged 5 to women over 35, providing an age-appropriate curriculum and intergenerational mentoring. Elders, including government officials, are sometimes invited. Activities also include practical skills such as poultry farming, agriculture, and soap making.

According to UNICEF, one in three girls in Zimbabwe is married before the age of 18. A similar situation is observed in neighboring countries in East and Southern Africa. The rate of child marriages in Central and West Africa has recently surged to over 40%, and in Niger (with a population of over 25 million), this figure has reached 76%, the highest rate in the world.

Poverty is one of the reasons for the high number of child marriages in Niger. About 50% of the country's approximately 20 million residents live on less than one euro a day. The country ranks second to last in the UN Human Development Index. Many poor families hope to secure their daughters' futures by marrying them off at a young age. In many cases, families also fear that their daughters will become pregnant before marriage, which would bring shame to the family. Child marriages are also used to settle disputes, pay off debts, or generate income from bride price.

The Rozaria Memorial Trust was founded by Dr. Nyaradza Gumbonzvanda in 2007 in memory of her late mother, Mbuya Rozaria Marumisa-Dzire, who married at a young age and later became a public figure.