A LOOK INTO THE OBVIOUS AND SILENT CAUSES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY

When discussing the complex issue of teenage pregnancy, societal values and taboos are frequently highlighted. These cultural norms and perceptions often shape attitudes and behaviors surrounding adolescent sexual health and reproductive rights. In many societies, discussions about teenage pregnancy are colored by deeply ingrained beliefs and stigmas, impacting how individuals and communities address this sensitive topic.

Not many consider the human rights violations associated with teenage pregnancy. Before we delve deeper into the human rights aspect, let's examine the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy.

First of all, a teenager is a child. She cannot consent to sex. The age of consent in Kenya is 18 years. Teenage pregnancy therefore means, a child was either defiled or was involved in coercive sex.

In some cases, teenage pregnancies occur due to non coercive sex between teenagers, often attributed to a lack of information. In such instances, according to Kenyan law, the male partner cannot be held legally accountable. Instead, both the boy and the girl typically undergo counseling and participate in educational programs aimed at raising awareness about the consequences of early sexual activity.

As demonstrated above, a significant factor contributing to teenage pregnancy is the lack of information, which cuts across society. Because sexuality education is viewed as a taboo topic, adolescents are often left to navigate these issues on their own. While some may receive guidance from trustworthy sources, others may fall prey to manipulative individuals. This underscores the critical importance of integrating sexuality education into societal norms.

From statistics, it's evident that many teenage pregnancies result from defilement and coercive sex. Defilement is considered a war crime and underscores the prevalent gender inequalities and disparities in society.

The defilement pattern reflects broader societal inequalities in power dynamics between genders, where men or boys may exert dominance over women or girls, leading to situations where girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Gender inequality perpetuates unequal power relations and contributes to the victimisation of girls and women.

Defilement cases also highlight disparities in how Gender Based Violence is addressed with legal systems and societal norms. In many contexts, there may be inadequate legal protections or enforcement mechanisms to prevent and respond to defilement effectively.

Societal attitudes and stereotypes may further perpetuate gender disparities, by blaming or stigmatising victims. This minimises accountability for perpetrators. This disparity in treatment based on gender exacerbates the harm experienced by victims and reinforces unequal power dynamics between genders.

When teenage pregnancy results from coercive sex, the perpetrators are mostly people well known to the adolescents. It involves manipulation, threats or physical force. Because of the fear induced in the adolescents, they are abused in silence, only for pregnancy to reveal the heinous acts afterwards. This then subjects them to cycles of trauma, shame and long-term psychological distress.

Poverty also significantly increases the risk of teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls. Due to natural processes like menstruation, many adolescent girls are compelled to resort to transactional sex with older men in order to afford sanitary pads. In certain communities, parents exploit their adolescent daughters for financial gain, sometimes exchanging them for money to cover household expenses. The adolescent girl faces disadvantages both within her own home and outside of it.

Child marriages are another significant factor contributing to teenage pregnancies. In societies where harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and beading are prevalent, child marriages are often normalized. As a result, there is little to no justice for girls forced into such marriages, as child marriage is deemed acceptable within the community.

In other instances, pregnant adolescents are married off to protect the reputation of the family. So, if a child was defiled or involved in coercive sex, they may be punished by being married off to either the perpetrator or an older man in need of a wife. Families would rather resort to breaking laws to safeguard their "reputation" when dealing with pregnant adolescents. It's important to note that child marriages are not acceptable under Kenyan laws.

On 7th February, the Kenya Human Rights Commission redcarded twenty governors from counties with high numbers of teenage pregnancy and per capita contribution to teenage pregnancy.

I support the red card campaign because it's risky being a girl or woman in societies where rights and the rule of law are disregarded. Adolescent girls are human beings and have the right to exist without threats.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Feel free to share in the comment section.

Look out for my next post on the human rights violations attached to teenage pregnancy.

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