Due to the continuous meltdown of Zimbabwe’s economic system, the idea of young women leaving school to join their relatives in other countries has become a cause of concern. The decision comes with significant disadvantages that need to be avoided.
The continuous inflation of prices of goods, which started in 2008, chased away many investors. This forced many companies and industries to shut down, leading to a shortage of jobs that most people depended on. The lack of job opportunities in the country has devalued the importance of education; hence most young women drop out of school and seek greener pastures in other countries. And they face many challenges there.
The idea of many young people who are educated and some owning different degree certificates and still suffering has become the root of many people not prioritizing education since it is unbeneficial to them and seen as a waste of money and time because even those who have qualifications end up being taxi drivers and vendors.
Young women also face racial abuse and discrimination when they go to other countries. As they seek greener pastures, these young women from Zimbabwe meet people who are intolerant of anyone who is black. Places such as the United Kingdom indeed have people who are racist and discriminate against black people by segregating them.
The risk of exploitation is another severe issue. When these young women arrive in foreign countries, they often have no idea of the rights they possess. Their relatives can easily exploit them to gain extra income. It is sad to know that some are used as cheap labour or forced into prostitution. These young women fear speaking out because they are usually threatened with being sent back home.
The fact that young women would have left their country without fully completing their formal education makes it challenging to secure professional and quality jobs. It often results in them doing mediocre work, such as cleaning the streets or guarding state buildings. The result would be that they will get poor wages. In a desperate effort, some people engage in illegal activities such as selling drugs, stealing, or conning people to get by. All such actions embarrass the home country once the culprit is arrested.