The Women's Sexual Gender Based Violence Experiences in Beitbridge

Documents how COVID-19 lockdown and containment measures undermined women's and girls' SRHR in Zimbabwe - disrupted family planning, maternal and adolescent health services, heightened undetected SGBV, and financial and educational fallout. Calls for an urgent, multi-sectoral, gender-responsive response. (Also issued as 'WLSA SRHR Policy Brief 2021'.)

•    Lockdowns and overzealous policing impeded access to family planning, maternal and other SRH services.
•    School closures threatened girls' education and raised risks of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and HIV.
•    SGBV went largely undetected as fewer women accessed SRH services (a key referral entry point).
• Underfunded health systems (only ~13% of budget vs 15% Abuja target) and PPE shortages worsened delivery.

·      Embed gender dimensions at every stage of COVID-19 policy design.

·      Meet the Abuja 15% health budget target, adopt gender-responsive budgeting, and make SRHR an essential service.

·      Support informal-sector women economically and mitigate school-closure impacts on adolescent girls.

·      Track accountability for COVID-19 funds and monitor/report violations such as child marriage and rape.