According to the statistics, Harare recorded a 96.8 percent pass rate for female candidates, against 79.7 percent for their male counterparts.
In second place is Mashonaland East Province with a 94.2 percent pass rate for female candidates against 90,4 percent for males. Masvingo Province came third with a 93.1 percent for females while male candidates scored 90.4 percent.
In fourth position is Mashonaland Central Province where 92.7 percent of girls passed against 87.1 for boys. Manicaland Province is in fifth position with a 91 percent pass rate for girls, against 87.6 percent for boys, while in Mashonaland West Province girls scored 89.4 percent against 83.4 percent for boys.
In seventh position is Midlands Province where 88.7 percent girls passed, against an 83.1 percent pass rate for boys. On position eight is Matabeleland South Province with 88.4 and 83.1 percent pass rates for female and male students, respectively.
In an interview, educationists and gender activists said the trend showed the government efforts at empowering the girl child were bearing fruit.
“Firstly, as the government we’ve just done tremendously well in terms of promoting the girl child.
“All our programmes emphasise that the girl child should have the same opportunities as the boy child. In a way, the outcome of the results also says that girls tend to be more focused than boys,” said Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Professor Paul Mavhima.
“We are busting the myth which used to say that we should promote men into positions of authority as we are realising that girls can be able to focus as confirmed by their good results.
“The results are also a reflection of government policy of promoting the girl child,” he said.
Prof Mavhima said the government would like to see girls improving in Mathematics and Science subjects in future.
Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe Chairperson Virginia Muwanigwa echoed the same sentiments.
“This goes to show that there is something happening in our system as regards the awarding of equal opportunities in the learning environment, which then makes it possible for the girls to excel in their studies.
“What I know is that if equal opportunities are given to both girls and boys there should be no reason why girls can’t do just as well as the boys because it’s not a biological issue, but an issue of opportunities being availed,” she said. herald