Students from various tertiary institutions in Bulawayo have been urged to actively contribute to the development of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policies to ensure that their needs and experiences are adequately addressed on campuses.
The call was made during a pre-conference student workshop hosted by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) this Wednesday, ahead of the 13th Annual International Conference on Communication and Information Science, scheduled for the 12th and 13th of November at Cresta Churchill Hotel in Bulawayo.
The workshop, held under the theme "Safe Campuses, Helping Futures: Communicating and Advancing Knowledge on SRHR in African Tertiary Institutions", brought together students, health practitioners, policymakers and youth representatives to discuss ways of improving access to sexual and reproductive health information and services in tertiary institutions.
In remarks made on his behalf, the Dean of Students, Mr Charlie Ncube emphasised the importance of incorporating students' lived experiences into the formulation of policies, saying they were best positioned to identify the challenges they face when accessing sexual and reproductive health services.
He challenged students to be honest about their experiences, constructive in proposing solutions and respectful of one another during discussions.
In his keynote address, UN NextGen Young Leader Mr Paul Mavesere Ndhlovu urged students to assess whether existing sexual and reproductive health services were meeting their needs.
He also challenged them to question whether cases of gender-based violence were being adequately addressed and whether students were making practical use of information acquired through previous workshops.
Meanwhile, Grassroots Soccer youth representative Miss Onayi Chukumo highlighted the importance of peer educators in encouraging young people to seek sexual and reproductive health services.
She said young people were more comfortable discussing sensitive issues with their peers, as peer educators use familiar language and draw on shared experiences to guide others towards appropriate support services.
The workshop forms part of broader efforts to promote informed decision-making, strengthen student participation and create safer and more supportive learning environments in African tertiary institutions.
The discussions are expected to add to the wider policy discussions to be held at the Cresta Churchill Hotel on the 12th and 13th of November, which will in turn contribute to more inclusive approaches to sexual and reproductive health policies, ensuring that students' voices are heard and their needs considered in creating safer and healthier campuses.
#SafeCampuses #HelpingFutures #NUST #SRHR #ThinkInOtherTerms #ICCIS2026 #ChooseNUST
