The good news is that globally there has been a downward trend in the rate of child and teenage pregnancy. The bad news is that in South Africa, it’s on the rise.
We are now in a crisis that we cannot afford to ignore. While the numbers may seem insurmountable, it is possible to address the problem through a multi-pronged approach that involves all the players required to make a difference.
“It is important for us to continue highlighting the crisis we face so that there can be change – this issue needs to be tackled by the government and the people of South Africa together, however the state has a responsibility to create an enabling environment for these young and adolescent girls so that they do not fall through the cracks,” Amnesty International South Africa Executive Director Shenilla Mohamed said.
The real tragedy is that child and teenage pregnancy has a ripple effect on both the young girls and their futures within society. Some of these girls are forced to drop out of school, which in turn increases the cycle of poverty as well as the stigma attached to it.
This in the face of factors such as gender inequality, gender-based violence (GBV), insufficient comprehensive sexuality education, substance abuse as well as poor access to contraceptives and healthcare that all play a role in impeding their progress.
Amnesty International South Africa has collaborated with Woman&Home and Bona magazines to launch a campaign entitled #Scarred.
#Scarred
Through print ads in the magazines, they urge readers to “scan the scar” — an image of a caesarean scar on a young girl’s stomach embedded with a Spotify code. When scanned, the code directs readers to a Spotify playlist featuring real stories of child and teenage pregnancies, collected with the assistance of Children of Success and Women & Men Against Child Abuse.
Female poets and artists, Lebo Mashile, Koleka Putuma and Thembe Mvula narrate these stories on Spotify, conveying the full range of emotions and experiences of three young girls.
“Many young girls are not physically or emotionally developed enough for childbirth. This often leads to complications,” Shenilla Mohamed said.
“The stories told by these incredible poets, hopefully brings home the seriousness of child and teenage pregnancy. According to Stats SA over 105,000 girls between 10 and 19 gave birth between April 2022 and March 2023. These numbers are shocking, but we need to stop seeing them as just numbers and realise that these are real people.”
Through this campaign Amnesty International South Africa is providing a platform for people to take a stand and demand action by writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on him to ensure the incoming government works towards addressing the high levels of child and teenage pregnancy in South Africa.
“While some steps to develop policy have been taken and additional interventions announced, more must be done. It is a social, health and economic issue affecting our most precious resource: our children,” Shenilla Mohamed said.
“It is time that President Ramaphosa and the government he leads take this issue of child and teenage pregnancy seriously and protect girls’ rights to health, information, education, equality and to live freely from GBV and discrimination.”
For those in South Africa exposed to this campaign who want to help play a pivotal role in raising awareness about the issue and taking action, they can visit Amnesty International South Africa’s website – where they can send an editable email to the presidency, outlining all the actions government can take to ensure that there is real change, so our young girls are protected and armed with the information necessary to make informed decisions about their bodies.
