Keep young mothers at school alone

In the last five years, about 130,000 teen girls gave birth to SA every year – which means one in seven babies They are born of teenagers. However, this challenge crosses the SA borders. In eastern and southern Africa, a quarter of young women Give it to light before the age of 18with the rate of pregnancy in adolescence in 92 for 1,000 girls– Twice the global average.

Furthermore, Six out of 10 girls They are not at school and near 80 million girls experience sexual violence before being 18 years old. On 3,100 in the age group of 15 to 24 acquire HIV every week.

Research shows that one of the best ways to help teenage mothers build a life for them and their babies is to keep them at school. This is because when young mothers finish school, they tend to have More job opportunitiesand better health – for themselves and theirs children.

However, restrictive policies, stigma and discrimination and financial difficulties can prevent students from returning to school. In fact, in sub -Saharan Africa, More than 6 million The pregnant and parental girls are out of school – with many not coming back after giving birth.

The UA declared 2024 the Year of Education in AfricaWith the continent leaders promising to make a priority of girls and women.

Teenage mothers – a frequently forgotten group – need specific support, say the signatories for a set of recommendations supported by the UAdeclared in the first Au Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women Education.

These mothers are two to five times more likely to die during work than women in their 20s, May abandon the school and get pregnant again soonand You can face Mental Health Challenges. Your babies can also age or fight with physical and cognitive development and worst educational results.

What can help to comply with the right of teenage mothers to education – and unlock their potential for a continent with a better future?

According to a 2022 Human Rights Surveillance ReportAt least 38 African countries have adopted laws or policies that ensure that pregnant girls can stay at school and return after delivery.

Knowing about these rights can be protective. For example, In ZambiaYoung mothers who knew about their country's reentry policy were almost 90% less likely to leave school because of provocations or bullying and said they felt less stigmatized when they returned after delivery.

Having school support can influence how easy – or difficult – it is for teenage mothers to return to school, Studies show. Teachers can do or break it, especially with evidence from various countriesIt is showing that they report being treated badly by teachers.

Malawi mock programwho paid the fees to girls in school in the rural district of Zomba, in an effort to combat HIV, not only reduced HIV rates (by 64%), but also delayed marriage and early pregnancy and encouraged girls who abandoned The school returning to return to their classes.

But schools alone cannot meet all the needs of adolescentsENT; Other sectors also need to provide support.