As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year under the theme ‘Press for Progress’ and reflect on the work that has been done and the work still to be done, we cannot forget young girls. The spotlight tends to focus on celebrating the achievements of women in the corporate sector and in government but the day is really about the most vulnerable of us and should be a day we pause to make sure no one is being left behind.

I had the pleasure of engaging and learning from the passionate people at The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Kenya, who work tirelessly to catalyze and convene a citizen led advocacy and accountability movement that ensures the health and wellbeing of women and girls in pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, on the issue of adolescent pregnancy.

What are the numbers?

The statistics on mortality rate for mothers in Kenya are already quite wanting as we loose 22 mothers a day, and though there has been some progress because of the highlighting of the issues in the media, there is still a lot of work ahead. When we look at the statistics and focus on adolescent mothers, the reality is jarring. Of girls aged 10-19 in Kenya, 1 in 5 is either pregnant or already a mother, with Narok, Homa Bay, West Pokot, Nyamira and Tana River with the highest rates of adolescent preganancy.

Adolescent pregnaancy is a leading cause of death and disability to thousands of girls in Kenya every year. A 10 year old’s body is not ready for the rigors of childbirth which is already a traumatic experience for the body of an adult woman. Other than just the physical danger of childbirth for a child, there is also the derailing of a young girl’s life. The truth is that most of these young girls have a bleak future ahead of them. Society is incredibly unforgiving when it comes to adolescent preganancy, with girls being kicked out of home and school for falling pregnant, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty. There is also a lot of stigma that adolescent mothers face that makes it difficult for them to go back to school and pursue their dreams. This coupled with lack of support and resources, means that pregnancy is akin to a death sentence and unsafe abortions become a route out but these most often than not also end in tragedy.

Some of the factors leading to adolescent pregnancy include poverty, lack of sexual and reproductive knowledge, FGM and child marriage.

What can we do?

Adolescent pregnancy is an issue that requires all of us to play a part. It is unfortunate and unacceptable that we have children getting pregnant when they should be learning and enjoying their childhood. Girls and boys need to be empowered so they can be aware of and exercise their agency when it comes to sex.

Parents and Guardians need to create time to talk to their children or get someone to talk to them about sex issues and the consequences of early sex and pregnancy, and advise them appropriately. Teachers of children need to teach young boys and girls on the dangers and consequences of underage sex. All teachers must also uphold professional ethics and not coerce girls into sex and face the full force of the law if they do.

Health workers should provide accurate information regarding adolescent sexual reproductive services to adolescents and ensure they understand they have access to the services. In addition, respect the rights of adolescents, encourage them to ask questions and commend them for making responsible choices

Community leaders, cultural leaders and religious leaders must sensitize community members about adolescent pregnancy and challenge negative norms such as FGM that promote child marriage (which is really child abduction and rape) and adolescent pregnancy.

The Media should monitor, track and report on progress of the national and county government’s delivery of adolescent, sexual and reproductive health, and highlight the impact of adolescent pregnancy and amplify voices of stakeholders demanding an end to adolescent pregnancy.

National and County Governments must ensure all Ministries work together, to create, fund and implement a multi-sectoral plan to addressing adolescent pregnancy and that there is full implementation and reinforcing of the existing policies such as the Sexual Offences Act, Children’s Act, Adolescent sexual reproductive health policy, Back to school policy for adolescent mothers and the school sanitary towel policy. They must also invest in training teachers and health workers to deliver age specific sexual reproductive health education and information to adolescents.

Law enforcement agencies and the judiciary must ensure that violators/perpetrators  who have sex with underage girls are dealt with the full force of law as per the provisions of several pieces of legislation that have been enacted.

Donors and Civil Society Groups need to fund and implement projects aimed at putting an end to adolescent pregnancy and push for accountability.

It is a big failure as a society that this is happening and we cannot bury our heads in the sand and continue to fail our girls. As we press for progress let us all play our role in making sure our girls survive, thrive and reach their full potential.

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mwendeHealthMwende saysadolescent pregnancy,Girls Not Mothers,International Women's Day,IWD 2018,Kenya,safe motherhood,White Ribbon Alliance
As we celebrate International Women's Day this year under the theme 'Press for Progress' and reflect on the work that has been done and the work still to be done, we cannot forget young girls. The spotlight tends to focus on celebrating the achievements of women in the corporate...