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Young mothers carry their children as they collect books at a secondary school in Kenya, January 8, 2021. © 2021 Monicah Mwangi/Reuters |
There’s no reason to deny any girl an education. But every year across Africa, tens of thousands of girls drop out of school, are discriminated against, or excluded from school because they are pregnant, married, or are mothers. These adolescent girls are denied their basic right to education for reasons that have nothing to do with their desire or ability to learn.
Human Rights Watch reviewed laws and policies related to teen pregnancy in schools across the African Union (AU) and detailed them in a new interactive feature, along with governments’ shortcomings to protect girls’ education. |
Africa has the highest birth rate among adolescent girls globally. Pregnancies have surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, linked to school closures, lack of protective spaces for girls, and an increase in violence within communities. Cases of child marriage have also been on the rise throughout the pandemic.
Pregnancy can be both a barrier to girls continuing their education and a consequence of dropping out of school. We know that the longer a girl stays in school, the less likely she is to be a child bride or become pregnant during her teenage years.
Poverty, sexual and gender-based violence, and poor health outcomes, combined with lack of access to education, expose thousands of girls to unwanted pregnancies. But governments can tackle these issues, thereby empowering girls and addressing high rates of teenage pregnancy. |
Most AU countries actually guarantee adolescent girls’ right to stay in school during pregnancy and motherhood. At least 38 countries have laws, policies, or measures that ensure pregnant girls can resume their education after giving birth. |
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But many countries do not. For example, girls in Uganda are required to go on mandatory maternity leave from school when they are at least three months pregnant. They are only allowed to resume schooling after one year when their child is at least six months old.
Other regressive laws might also be a factor. In Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco, girls and women who have sexual relationships outside of marriage risk criminal punishments. Elsewhere in North Africa, girls and women with children born outside of marriage are often perceived as bringing dishonor to their families. Girls in these situations might not be allowed or able to stay in school since they would be exposed to public ridicule and social stigma.
Also, 18 countries in Africa have among the world’s highest rates of child marriage. In addition to blocking girls from making their own life choices and subjecting them to violence and discrimination, child marriage can also disrupt or end their education. Many governments have agreed to tackle the problem, but enforcement remains slow. |
Human Rights Watch and other organizations have long called on African governments to ensure pregnant girls and mothers can stay in school.
In some countries, things are starting to change. In November 2021, Tanzania’s government decided to allow mothers to return to their studies, after decades of forcing pregnant students and adolescent mothers to drop out.
Since 2019, at least five other sub-Saharan African countries have either revoked restrictive or discriminatory policies or adopted laws or policies that allow pregnant students and adolescent mothers to stay in school under certain conditions. |
It’s time to stop putting girls’ futures at stake simply because they become pregnant. All governments should protect the right to education.
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© 2022 Ojima Abalaka for Human Rights Watch |
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| | “After publishing this video, it’s possible that no one will see me again, I might die.” said Elaha Dilawarzai, an Afghan medical student, in a video that surfaced on social media on August 30. |
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| Russian and Russian-affiliated forces have been forcibly transferring Ukrainian civilians, including those fleeing hostilities, to the Russian Federation or areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia. |
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After nearly 30 years, this week marked Ken’s last day as Human Rights Watch’s Executive Director. Ken has led HRW since 1993, taking HRW from a small group of regional “watch committees” to a major international human rights organization with global influence. |
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