Rwanda National Police

BY SGT MARIE GRACE MUNEZERO

According to the 2014/15 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey, 7 per cent of women become pregnant between the ages of 15 and 19. The survey systematically sampled 12,793 families across the country. Early childbearing (15-19 years) occurs more frequently among young women with a primary education (9 per cent) than among those with secondary education or higher (4 per cent).

Teenage pregnancy is a problem not only in Rwanda but also globally. The 2018 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report said that some of the factors leading to teen pregnancies are lack of information about sexual and reproductive health for both boys and girls and lack of education or dropping out of school, lack of knowledge on ways to prevent pregnancy, adolescent sexual behavior or curiosity, and socio-economic factors.

Now the debate is; who will take charge of reversing the trend of teen pregnancy?

As the government and law enforcement institutions in particular continue to address this issue through continuous awareness and bringing to justice those suspected of impregnating teenage girls, what is the role of parents?

But before we look at the role of parents, we also ought to understand the meaning of parenting. Parenting or child rearing is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. It is about the intricacies involved in the process of raising a child and not just the biological relationship.

As child care providers, each of us plays an important role in planning for children's success – but we are not alone. ... A child's learning and care becomes a shared responsibility. The term shared responsibility means devising ways to work together and support the outcome of children's learning and of quality care.

For many individuals, the basic concept of social responsibility comes from childhood examples from parents and authority figures. On a deeper level, children learn social responsibility from interactions with their peers, teachers, and community during their education

Some parents raise their kids in ways that do not promote friendly interactions. For a girl or a boy child, at times it becomes very difficult to communicate their worries and challenges they face, and the majority of parents are shy to talk about sensitive topics like sex, reproduction and other related issues.

Lack of communication between parents and their children can be a contributing factor to teen pregnancy. There are many aspects of adult life young people do not know. That lack of awareness can lead the trap of experiencing certain practices without prior knowledge of their implication resulting dire consequences, like pregnancy, which I can say ‘late’.

Parents and guardians should try to raise their children in a way they know that early pregnancy is a problem for both genders; not only for girls. They have to show their kids at an early age, the consequences of teen pregnancies for girls and boys. Parents should choose to be open and discuss with their children on sexual matters instead of remaining silent and later deal with the consequences.

To most young people, peer pressure and the need to fit in groups, where certain negative influences could be taking place, can lead to teen pregnancy. The peer pressure could affect girls and boys in different ways, with the former having to prove their fertility and satisfy curiosity, while the latter feels the need to prove their masculinity.

The 2016 survey by CLADHO Among the surveyed pregnant girls, the research indicated that coerced sex accounted for 87.7%. The study also discovered that 49% of the girls are impregnated by colleagues and 20% by family friends. The other 2% are impregnated by their teachers while 1% is by local leaders.

By definition, sexual coercion is “the act of using pressure, alcohol or drugs, or force to have sexual contact with someone against his or her will” and includes “persistent attempts to have sexual contact with someone who has already refused. Defilement carries a life sentence in Rwanda, and this, equally, comes back to the responsibility of everyone to report such people, who destroy the future of these young people, to face justice.

Parents should assist their children by raising girls’ and boys’ awareness of their sexual and reproductive health and rights, connecting them with education and health services, they have to support the key decisions they make about their futures and bodies.

In addition they have to protect them from any kind of abuse. Parents should stop blaming the victim (girls) and assist them instead.
Furthermore parents should understand that timely reporting of child abuse offenders is important. Covering child abuse offenders due to cultural myth or individual interest is bad not only for their children but also for their grandchildren to come and the entire community in general.

The role of parents in fighting against teen pregnancies is quite important. However, it is a collective responsibility, mostly teachers and guardians as major actors in children’s education. Education in Rwanda is universal—12 Year Basic Education—and every child should be in school. The government has strengthened and implemented comprehensive education on sexual and reproductive health and relationships in and out of schools to tackle the root causes of adolescent pregnancy. Most importantly, law enforcement organs have taken an upper hand to bring offenders of child defilement and rape to justice.

First, children born to very young mothers are at greater risk of illness and death. Second, teenage mothers are more likely to suffer complications during pregnancy and less likely to have them treated, exposing the teens to a greater risk of further complications during delivery including fatality. Third, early childbearing seriously affects a woman’s ability to pursue an education, thereby limiting her job opportunities.