* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The African child is the African future, therefore, when we leave her behind, we leave our future behind
Raheema's entire life was interrupted when she became pregnant at age 16 and was forced to leave school. Like so many children and young adults in Tanzania and indeed, in many African countries, Raheema did not receive any sexuality education in school. She and millions of adolescent girls like her had no idea how to prevent a pregnancy.
Furthermore, schoolgirls in Tanzania are subject to forced pregnancy testing, which if the result is positive, can prohibit them from continuing their education. After she gave birth, Raheema wanted to return to her public school, but she was denied re-entry, and her family lacked the resources for private school.
Failure to address the reproductive rights of adolescents is not only detrimental to Africa’s development efforts but is also a direct violation of human rights, which are protected in these countries' constitutions and under various international and regional instruments, such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
On this Day of the African Child, we remember Raheema’s story, and the stories of others whose fates were decided for them. This year’s theme – “Leave No Child Behind for Africa’s Development” – was selected to ensure that those who are not benefiting from Africa’s growth and development are taken into consideration when governments implement the various development commitments they have adopted.
Every year, thousands of adolescent girls in Africa are denied their right to education due to pregnancy. Some have even been arrested for being pregnant while in school. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that young persons aged between 10 and 24 years account for 30% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. Today's children are tomorrow's adults, and their participation will be essential in helping Africa to achieve its development goals.
Preventing adolescent girls from going to school negatively impacts economic, social and political opportunities and prevents equal participation- a key element to development efforts. No child, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, should be excluded from development policies and programs.
Although many countries in Africa have some policy mandating comprehensive sexuality education, integration and implementation of science-based information is still insufficient. This lack of information deprives adolescents of the ability to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Research published in 2010 by the Guttmacher Institute revealed that 68% of sexually active unmarried adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have an unmet need for modern contraception, while 67% of married adolescent girls who want to avoid pregnancy for at least two years are not using any method of contraception. Girls cannot prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancies if they don't know how.
Adolescents encounter many challenges in accessing reproductive health services, including restrictive laws and policies, inadequate availability of services, and limited access to contraceptives and safe abortion care. These obstacles are magnified in countries where girls are at high risk of sexual violence, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo – where 53% of adolescents experience physical or sexual partner violence – or in countries with high rates of early pregnancies like Uganda, where 57% of girls give birth before 20 years of age.
Today, Raheema works as a cook, and she lives with her parents. Had she been allowed to finish secondary school, it’s very possible that she would have had greater job options, and the ability to make an even greater contribution to the development of her country. However, the reality is that Raheema, and so many others like her, continue to be left behind. If Africa is to meet its development goals, it must do so by respecting and fulfilling the needs and rights of adolescent girls. The African child is the African future, therefore, when we leave her behind, we leave our future behind.
Evelyne Opondo, Senior Regional Director for Africa, Center for Reproductive Rights.
