This archive report was first published on 30 June 2021.
On June 30, 2021, Kenya's government reaffirmed its commitment to ending teenage pregnancy by 2030, a goal set at the ICPD 25. To achieve this, the government has begun mobilizing high-level intergovernmental committees to develop and implement proven solutions.
One of the key commitments made by the government is to uphold the rights of young girls to sexuality education and provision of sexual and reproductive health services, including contraceptives, as enshrined in the Maputo Protocol and several national laws, policies, and guidelines.
Age-appropriate sexuality education is crucial in preventing teenage pregnancies. This education must cover topics such as sexual consent, safe sex negotiation, healthy relationships, and sexual and gender-based violence. The government should also provide sessions for parents on how to address these topics with their children and respond objectively to misinformation and misconceptions around sexuality education.
However, despite the Ministry of Health's guidelines on the continuity of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and family planning care and services, these guidelines do not explicitly address adolescents and young people. The Ministry needs to ensure that these services are extended to adolescents and young people by clearly outlining this in the guidelines and creating awareness among young populations on how and where to access such services.
According to Jane Kamau from the Education for Health and Well-being NPO, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, with learners from poor, vulnerable, and marginalized households unable to benefit from continued learning due to lack of access. This has led to an increase in risks of young girls engaging in transactional sex to gain access to essential needs and support their families.
Jane emphasizes the importance of education in reducing teenage pregnancies, stating that it prepares children on how to transition and manage their teenage age phase. She also highlights the need for a holistic approach, with the Ministry of Education working in partnership with the Ministry of Health to provide age-appropriate information to teenagers and curb the worrying trends.
UNESCO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya's National Council of Population and Development, Plan International, and UN Women to implement a media campaign on ending teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence. The campaign will create awareness through multiple platforms of the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy and increased cases of GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic.
