Teenage pregnancies

Against premature pregnancy and for the rights of young mothers

A drastic consequence of a lack of knowledge and information about sex and sexuality is early pregnancy. These pregnancies have a negative influence on the health of the girls, on their education and thus directly on their future. Most pregnant girls drop out of school because motherhood and education can hardly be combined or because they are strongly discriminated against in schools.

In our project countries, the situation regarding early pregnancies is precarious. With over 99,000 pregnant schoolgirls (Statistics South Africa: General Household Statistics Survey 2015), South Africa has one of the highest rates of early pregnancy worldwide. In Tanzania, young mothers are even expelled from school by law. The reasons for such high rates are complex: prevailing gender inequality, poverty and limited or no access to contraceptives. In many contexts, adolescent girls also have little means to negotiate safe sex with their partners, especially when these relationships involve the exchange of sex for money or favours due to difficult economic situations. The high rate of gender-based violence in Southern Africa also contributes to the high rates of early pregnancy.

Exchange among peers
Our partner organisations aim with their projects to reduce the number of early pregnancies. The projects work closely with youth clubs inside and outside schools. In addition to providing information, the aim is also to support the personal development of the young people. This enables them to make their own decisions for their lives and those of their sexual partners, to know their rights and to demand them. In addition, the clubs also serve to bring young people and especially young mothers together: The exchange between people of the same age is easier for everyone and strengthens the sense of community.

Additional training for young mothers
To ensure that these discussions are also supportive, all partner organisations train young people in participative methods and a solution-oriented approach. Some of the projects offer a training programme to young mothers who have had to leave school to give them a chance of employment. Through awareness-raising work with community members, parents, traditional leaders and teachers, our partners also question prevailing cultural practices and advocate for the rights of young women.