WUA staff participated in this UNICEF funded qualitative study which employed a participatory methodology of focus group discussions called Round Robin Sessions and in depth interviews in investigating social norms that cause violence among children in Zimbabwe. The focal areas studied include child marriage, intersections of violence and adolescent sexual and reproductive health, adolescent relationship violence and violence in educational settings focusing specifically on corporal punishment in schools and violence in ‘bush boarding’ or informal school accommodation arrangements. 136 participants within the ages of 18-24 years were selected from four districts of Harare, Binga, Chipinge and Beitbridge. The selected districts ensured a diversity of ethnicities and allowed representation from rural, urban, peri-urban’ farming communities and border town populations which provided diverse perspectives across Zimbabwe.

This project valued at +/- $500,000 has been carried out in Mutare Rural, Bulilima and Binga. It is a study whose aim was to support efforts to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and torture and all forms of violence against children by 2030 (SDG 16:2). Research was done in collaboration with UNICEF, Africa University and University of Edinburgh. The study aims were to explore potential pathways and mechanisms through which cash was impacting on family dynamics, family environment and decision making on children themselves.