KAMPALA: UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, a United Nations (UN) agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, on Friday, December 3, launched a national campaign against defilement, early marriages, and failed Parenthood.
The launch was held at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, Uganda.
A study by UN Population Fund (2021), found that a total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 while 290,219 teenage pregnancies were registered from January to September 2021. 25% of girls (15-19yrs) have had a child. Uganda is ranked 16th highest with child brides globally.
The campaign is aimed at supporting child mothers and their children because they are more vulnerable, and also ending teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
UNICEF Representative to Uganda, Munir Safieldin during the launch, commended communities to work together to ensure proper raising of the girl child, to avoid teenage pregnancies and early marriages.
Quoting a well-known proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”, Safieldin said raising a child is a huge task hence a whole village is required to raise a child right.
“Raising a child is a huge task and a big responsibility that requires a collaborative effort,” said Safieldin. “Raising a child properly requires inculcating in that child the best values and moralities of the entire village,” he added, noting that all dignitaries of the village must be there to do their part to give their best to a child.
“One single case of teenage pregnancy is too much. When thousands of teenage girls are impregnated, the village should declare an emergency and the leaders should shake up the society, arraign its conscious, and awaken its values of humanity, and fear of God,” said Safieldin.
On average, over 32000 teenage pregnancies are recorded per month in Uganda since 2020.
According to a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) study, a total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 while 290,219 teenage pregnancies were registered from January to September 2021.
Referring to the UNFPA statistics, Safieldin asked the public to imagine how many teenage girls have lost their lives due to induced abortions, and how many babies of teenage mothers may have been abandoned or even killed.
“Imagine how many teenage mothers are reduced to prostitution to feed their babies, imagine how many of these babies don’t know their fathers and have no birth registration,” added Safieldin.
In commemoration of the event also, Joyce Moriku called upon the public to enhance increased investment in girls’ education, especially with the COVID -19 impact.
COVID-19 has negatively impacted children most especially the girl child. In Uganda, many have been drawn into child marriages and unwanted teenage pregnancies due to school closures.
As a result, many young children cannot finish school and end up in child marriages accompanied by domestic violence. Child marriage is commonly associated with Gender-Based Violence.
Child marriage drivers in Uganda are; social norms and beliefs associated with women’s social identity, bridewealth, socio-economic status of families, individual beliefs and practices, and institutional related issues.
According to UNICEF statistics, 43% of women (25-49yrs) married before 18 yrs. (regional disparities exist). The increased rates of teenage pregnancies mean there will be many vulnerable babies in need of integrated services.
That is why now more than ever, as a nation, we need to collectively act to end these vices and protect every child because teenage pregnancy represents multiple crises, and it is an assassination of childhood and innocence.