Teen Pregnancy Rooted in Powerlessness

In Nepal, many children who suffer from malnutrition belong to young mothers. In fact, teen marriages and pregnancies are common and over 23 percent of women give birth before they are 18 years old. Credit: Naresh Newar/IPSBy Joan ErakitUNITED NATIONS, Oct 30 2013 (IPS) Before we begin, perhaps we can set aside the stereotypes: no, she didn’t “mess herself up by following boys around”, and no, it is not in fact her fault that she became pregnant. Adolescents rarely have children because they want to. Yet 7.3 million girls under the age of 18 give birth every year, with two million of those births to girls under the age of 14. “The powerlessness girls experience is often a symptom of human rights violations of one form or another,” Richard Kollodge, editor of a flagship report launched Wednesday by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), told IPS. “When a girl is married against her will before 18, her rights are violated. When a girl becomes pregnant and is forced to leave school, her right to an education is denied,” he said. This powerlessness affects young women deeply, and many are faced with excruciating choices that can lead to illegal abortion, social exile and even death. Titled “Motherhood in Childhood: Facing the Challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy,” UNFPA’s annual report looks at the most important factors driving adolescent pregnancy: poverty, lack of education, forced marriage and inequality. In his forward to...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Development & Aid Education Featured Gender Headlines Health Human Rights Population Poverty & MDGs TerraViva Europe TerraViva United Nations Women & Economy Women's Health World Contraception Inequality Teen Pregnancy Un Source Type: news