HARARE, Zimbabwe \u2013 On 26 August, the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI) convened the O3 PLUS Phase II Inception Meeting and Workshop on Student Health and Well-being Policies. This pivotal gathering marked an important step towards stronger, safer, and more inclusive higher and tertiary education systems in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (MHTEISTD), with UNESCO’s technical leadership and support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), O3 PLUS Phase II advanced a national systems-strengthening approach across Zimbabwe’s 52 public Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions . FAWEZI, as an implementing partner, directly engaged 21 institutions in this transformative initiative .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The O3 PLUS Phase II programme built on the successes of Phase I, which was implemented from 2021 to 2025 across six countries in East and Southern Africa . The new phase focused on enabling young people in Zimbabwe to make informed decisions about their health, education, and futures. It aimed to improve access to Life Skills and Health Education and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV), and build inclusive campus environments that support student well-being .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event also formally introduced the partners and stakeholders of the new phase, which represented a major shift from working with a limited number of pilot campuses to a national systems-based model . This transition reflected a strategic move towards institutionalizing student health and well-being as a core mandate across Zimbabwe’s higher education sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workshop brought together representatives from MHTEISTD, UNESCO, the Tertiary Education Services Council (TESC), 18 Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions, SAYWHAT, Friendship Bench, and the FAWEZI Secretariat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In opening the meeting, FAWEZI Executive Director Ms. Lydia Madyirapanze underscored the importance of strategic alignment, shared ownership, and coordinated action to ensure that student health and well-being were embedded as leadership and governance priorities within institutional systems .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through peer learning, group work, and technical dialogue, participants identified institutional gaps and established the need for practical roadmaps for gender-responsive, student-centred, and rights-based policies. A particular focus was placed on the prevention of and response to Gender-Based Violence, a critical issue that had been a central component of the O3 PLUS programme since its inception .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The discussions drew on the programme’s experience in strengthening prevention and response to GBV and building inclusive campus environments that support student well-being . The shared goal was clear: institutions that safeguarded students’ health, dignity, and educational success would translate commitments into coordinated, practical, and measurable action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The O3 PLUS Phase II programme contributed to Zimbabwe’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 5, and aligned with UNESCO’s Strategy on Education for Health and Well-being (2022\u20132026) . The launch of Phase II underscored the collective commitment to ensure that every student in Zimbabwe learned and thrived in a safe, inclusive, and health-promoting environment .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ministry’s vision remained clear: to ensure that every student in Zimbabwe learns and thrives in a safe, inclusive and health-promoting environment. This vision aligned with the national development agenda and global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and reflected the Ministry’s broader thrust towards innovation, industrialisation, and human capital development.<\/p>\n\n