Africa’s education system is facing a hidden crisis. Teenage pregnancies are forcing millions of girls to drop out of school, threatening to undo decades of progress in getting more girls into classrooms. Approximately 30% of girls become pregnant before the age of 19, with rural areas being disproportionately affected.
In many cases, poverty and lack of access to reproductive health information cause girls to be vulnerable to unintended pregnancies although harmful cultural norms, such as child marriage, also play a role. Once pregnant, girls often lack support and are forced to drop out of school.
This growing problem endangers the continent’s ability to achieve quality education for all, a goal the world has pledged to reach by 2030.
“As policymakers and educators struggle to find solutions, one thing is clear, Africa’s future depends on finding a way to support these young mothers and keep them in school”, Adi Radhakrishnan, Leonard H. Sandler Fellow in the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, stated.
Worst-hit countries
Several countries such as Zambia, Morocco, Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe are facing a teenage pregnancy crisis.
Mozambique has one of the world’s highest child marriage rates and its teenage pregnancy rate is alarming with 180 out of every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 becoming mothers. One in ten girls has a child before the age of 15. Most pregnant girls drop out of school, and few finish secondary school education with 41% completing lower secondary and just 4% finishing upper secondary.
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The Zimbabwean Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, revealed that in 2023, 4,557 female students had been forced to abandon their education due to pregnancy.
“In the year ending December 2023, 4,557 girls dropped out of school due to pregnancy, the majority of these (3,942) being from rural schools. There were 134 girls who dropped out of primary school as a result of pregnancy, meaning that the majority of drop-outs were recorded in secondary schools,” he explained.
Kenya faces a similar crisis as 15% of adolescent girls become pregnant or mothers, leading to over 13,000 school dropouts annually. Recent calls from local politicians to put in place legislation to ban pregnant teenagers from school has raised concerns. Experts have noted that this move would deny these girls their basic right to education, putting their futures at risk and potentially perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.
What of legislation?
The African Union member states are legally bound to ensure pregnant girls can continue their primary and secondary education without facing discrimination. Most states have committed to upholding the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and have pledged to prioritize girls’ education and women’s rights. The treaty mandates African governments to guarantee equal access to education for girls, set the minimum age for marriage at 18 and ensure that pregnant girls can continue their education without interruption.
More than 30 African countries now have laws in place to protect pregnant students and teenage mothers in school. Sierra Leone, for example, recently changed its policy to allow pregnant students and teenage mothers to remain at school which will ensure they can continue learning and achieve their goals.
Uganda’s Ministry of Education introduced new guidelines in 2020 to help schools to support teenage mothers by ensuring they could continue their education without discrimination. Schools must now re-enroll pregnant girls and young mothers, and parents can report any school that refuses to do so to the district education officer. The guidelines also require schools to provide counseling for pregnant students, investigate allegations of sexual violence, and connect young mothers with community resources for childcare and financial support. Additionally, students who miss school due to pregnancy can still take their exams when they return which helps them to stay on track with their education.
In 2013, the African Union adopted Agenda 2063, a development strategy that prioritizes building human capital through education including the elimination of gender disparities. Two years later, African governments joined the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals aiming for inclusive and quality education for all.
Causes of teenage pregnancy
Silinganisiwe Dzumbunu, a researcher at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, commented that teenage pregnancy is driven by poverty, natural disasters, climate change and harmful cultural norms.
“These factors lead to food and resource insecurity, causing adolescents to engage in risky sexual behaviors,” she said.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has expressed concern about the escalating rate of teenage pregnancies in the region.
“We recognize that early childbearing is often linked to social, cultural, and economic factors that leave adolescent girls vulnerable to early sexual debut and forced marriages” the SADC Secretariat stated.
According to the World Bank Group, “teenage pregnancy is often linked to limited education and a lack of information about sex and relationships. In many places, girls do not have access to good schools or relevant classes that teach them about their bodies and how to make healthy choices. This leaves them without the knowledge they need to avoid getting pregnant too young. Schools also often fail to support pregnant girls, causing them to drop out and miss out on future opportunities. By improving education and making it more relevant, we can help young people make better decisions about their lives”.
