This archive report was first published on 10 July 2021.
Published on July 10, 2021, a study by the University of Nairobi in collaboration with UN Women, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the State Department for Gender (SDfG), and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has shed light on the alarming rates of repeat teenage pregnancies in Kenya.
The study found that adolescents from Nilotic regions are more likely to experience repeat pregnancies compared to Bantus, with Nyanza leading in the number of adolescents who have had more than one child.
Interestingly, the study revealed that teenagers who did not profess any religious faith are more likely to get pregnant, while those of the Muslim faith had the least cases of repeat teenage pregnancies.
According to the study, titled: Women’s Empowerment, Health and Gender-Based Violence for Gender Equality Policies, 76 per cent of victims who sought help relied on informal channels, while another 53 per cent neither disclosed the violation nor sought help.
Ms Verity Mganga, the acting director for Policy and Research at SDfG, noted that fear of repercussions, shame, stigma, and a feeling of helplessness hinder female victims from reporting sexual violence.
Less-educated women were also found to be less likely to report sexual violence against them.
UN Women country director Anna Mutavati emphasized the importance of data in shaping key areas, such as budget, to cater for issues affecting women, including teenage pregnancy.
On contraceptive use, the report found that women are more likely to use contraceptives when the decision comes from their husbands or partners.
“Couples who reported that the decision to use of contraceptives was made by their husbands or partners, were twice more likely to use contraceptives than those who made the decision on their own,” reads the report.
