THERE are 20 children accompanying their mothers serving jail terms for various offences at Chikurubi Female Prison.
The babies include 12 girls and eight boys who were on Monday among 165 inmates who attended the commemoration of International Women’s Day.
Zimbabwe Female Open Prison Foundation Trust chairperson Roselyn Charehwa urged women to be responsible in determining the number of children they want.
“It is disturbing that innocent babies are accompanying their mothers who are serving their sentences and every mother wants her child close to her chest,” said Charehwa.
“Female Open Prison will be best with facilities such as nursery school, beds for babies as well as nursing mothers since Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service has moved from punitive to a correctional aspect.
“Amai ndivo vane sarudzo yekuziva wavanoda kubereka naye vana uye nehuhwandu hwevana vacho.
“Varume vazhinji havana hanya nehuhwandu hwevana saka ana amai berekai vana muruzivo nekuti ndimi munotakura mimba.
“Family planning is for women not men, so be wise and responsible.
“Gender-based violence perpetrated by men on women is responsible for mental cases experienced by women,” she said.
Among the 165 only 59 have been convicted while 106 await their fate before the courts of law and 32 were under psychiatric section.-H Metro
