Delay Marriage Promote Schooling for Ugandan Girls

According to UNFPA (2021), a total of 345,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 and a total of 290,219 between January and September 2021, implying an average of over 32,000 teenage pregnancies recorded per month thus amounting to 800 teenage pregnancies per week. The breakout of COVID 19 resulted into continuous lockdowns which led to prolonged closure of schools hence the rise in teenage pregnancies which has become an alarming situation in Uganda.

Closure of schools left many girls vulnerable to teenage pregnancy, early child marriage and violence. Idleness of boys and girls, confined in the same environment, led them into involvement in bad behaviors which sometimes resulted into unwanted pregnancies. Covid 19 also increased poverty rate and some families in order to lessen their financial burdens were forced to marry off their daughters in exchange.

Future generations have been denied of great opportunities that are right ahead of them. In different communities, young girls are facing social discrimination, and often do not get the support they need to compete their studies, get a job and resettle in the society. Social isolation and poverty therefore make them vulnerable to risky behaviors hence laying a financial burden on the society.

On the 3^rd December, 2021, senior women leaders in Uganda launched a campaign which was dubbed ‘Protect the Girl, Save the Nation’ to champion against teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

“The fact that teenage pregnancies and defilement cases have risen in the lockdown has exposed the cracks and weaknesses in parenthood in our homes and families. This must change.” Rt. Hon. Nabbanja, the prime minister.

Joy for Children is dedicated to ending child marriage and reducing the number of children especially girls getting married before the age of 18 and therefore, we paid a visit to one of the districts that recently recorded the highest cases of teenage pregnancies. In Kyenjojo district, we met Anita (not real name), a young girl who was pregnant.

“It was one day when my mother sent me for a pack of salt at around 7pm. On my way, behind me, I saw a man who was putting on a cap walking fast towards me. I was scared because I was in an isolated place and couldn’t see any other person around. I increased speed but the next time I tried to look behind again, he was already grabbing me and with a knife, he threatened to kill me if I screamed. He forced me into the nearby bush and raped me and said he would find me and kill me if I told anyone what happened.”

Anita said she was afraid and didn’t report this to her parents but after a few months, they noticed she was pregnant and her chances of going back to school are limited.

Joy for Children provided psycho social support to Anita’s family and also helped her mother to start up a small business. Anita’s mother is so happy for the help she received from Joy for Children and says that this business will continuously help her to raise money to pay her daughter’s school fees.

The government of Uganda has put up a number of policies that should in theory, be useful to prevent and reduce adolescent pregnancies including; setting the minimum age of sexual consent at 18 years, the defilement law against having sex with a girl under 18 years, universal and secondary primary education that offers free basic and secondary education to children, and the National Adolescent Policy. These policies, however, do not seem to have much effect due to lack of knowledge about the policies by the general public.

Recommendations:

• Providing sex education before young people become sexually active, with open attitudes and a positive approach to sexual health and relationships.
• Strengthening secondary preventive efforts education, employment and support aimed at helping the girl child in self-sustainment and reducing the rate at which they are dependent on men.
• Increasing school-based sex education and community-based education, development and contraceptive services.
• Increasing focus on youth development programs and family outreach.