Govt Decry Rising Teenage Pregnancies
The Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, Musalia Mudavadi, has drawn attention to the worrying rise in teenage pregnancies in the country, calling for urgent action to protect girls from abuse.
Mudavadi, who was speaking at the Western Kenya Women’s Conference, cited statistics showing that while overall vulnerability for girls in Kenya is at 14.9%, certain counties are registering alarmingly high rates of teenage pregnancy, including Bungoma (18.6%), Busia (18.3%), Trans Nzoia (17.8%), Kakamega (15.1%) and Vihiga (7.7%).
He added that the recent Kenya Demographic and Health Survey also showed that Nairobi City County recorded a significant percentage (8.4%) of teenage pregnancies.
Mudavadi emphasised that the situation is a deep crisis and that the increasing number of children having children is “no longer a joke”.
He pledged to support efforts to empower and protect women and girls, calling for a radical shift in policy, and said that Kenya could learn from the US Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labour market.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary urged women to take the lead in empowering and guiding girls, highlighting the story of a young girl from Lugari in Kakamega County who was forced into early motherhood.
The girl, named Cynthia, told the meeting that she was orphaned at a young age and forced to become a mother at 13 because of a lack of parental support. Mudavadi described her story as “an eye opener to society”, and pledged to stand with women in Western Kenya to come up with mechanisms to empower themselves and protect vulnerable girls.
Mudavadi also called for urgent action to tackle the HIV-Aids crisis, emphasising that women must take the lead in promoting good morals and protecting younger generations from the disease.
The resurgence of HIV-Aids is targeting young people between the ages of 15 and 30, regardless of their tribe, class or political party, he said.
In conclusion, Mudavadi’s call for action is a reminder of the urgent need to protect vulnerable girls and women in Kenya, and his emphasis on the role of women in empowering and guiding the younger generation is a positive step towards achieving this.
His call for a radical shift in policy, as well as his pledge to support efforts to empower and protect women, highlights the need for the government to take action to tackle the issue of teenage pregnancy and promote gender equality.
Govt Decry Rising Teenage Pregnancies
