The world is changing. Things are not the same the way they used to be and while some of these changes are for the better, the others are worrisome. More than anything, these changes are highly concerned with women and their well-being. For instance, take the latest report that shows that the total fertility rate across the world has fallen significantly. And while that is the case, another report from UNFPA shows that a third of all women in developing countries are giving birth in their teenage years. In fact, these women who began childbearing in adolescence, almost give five births till the time they touch 40 years of age.
Between the years 2015 and 2019, the UNFPA examined that women who gave birth to children in their teenage years had almost given five births by the time they reached 40. And two key reasons that fueled teen pregnancies were gender inequality and income inequality.
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As per the UNFPA report, gender-based inequality and income inequality were key reasons for teen pregnancies as they increased child marriage rates, restricted their (girls) career dreams, limited their healthcare and information given to them on safe, consensual sex, and also kept them out of school.
These inequalities mixed with climate disasters (like Covid-19) and global conflicts (like the war) are adding to the difficulty girls face to afford school and health services. The UNFPA report says that this leaves millions of them vulnerable to teen pregnancies and early marriage.
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Dr Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, said, “When nearly a third of all women in developing countries are becoming mothers during adolescence, it is clear the world is failing adolescent girls… The repeat pregnancies we see among adolescent mothers are a glaring signpost that they desperately need sexual and reproductive health information and services.”
The UNFPA report also highlights that teen pregnancies can give birth to grave complications that are a leading cause of death and injury for adolescent girls. In fact, being an adolescent mother can also lead to violations of their human rights and cause serious social consequences – like intimate partner violence, mental health issues, and child marriage
Recommendations provided by the UNFPA report include policymaking that ensures girls are provided with comprehensive sexuality education, social support, quality health support, and mentorship.