Kigezi religious leaders urged to join fight against teenage pregnancies, early marriages
Human rights activists in Kigezi have called on religious leaders to adopt and promote comprehensive strategies to address the rising cases of teenage pregnancy and early marriages in the region.
This appeal was made during an advocacy dialogue held at the White Horse Inn in Central Division of Kabale Municipality, aimed at addressing socio-cultural, religious, and political barriers in advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
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Organized by the Local Sustainable Communities Organization (LOSCO), the event attracted a diverse group of participants, including educators, religious and political leaders, police officers, and human rights defenders.
The advocates highlighted alarming statistics showing a spike in teenage pregnancies and early marriages in the Kigezi Sub-Region, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic with 1300 teenage pregnancies recorded in Kigezi annually.
They emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach involving education, access to reproductive health services, and community support to effectively tackle these challenges.
Albert Taremwa, Executive Director of LOSCO, stressed the influential role of religious leaders in shaping community attitudes and behaviors.
"Religious leaders have a unique platform to influence positive change. If the abstinence they always preach is not effectively working out, incorporating other measures and factual information about reproductive health into their teachings can play a crucial role in protecting the future of our young children," Taremwa said.
He urged religious leaders to encourage open discussions about sexual health and the consequences of teenage pregnancies and early marriages within their congregations.
He also advocated for comprehensive sex education, improved access to contraceptives and reproductive health services for adolescents, and fostering community engagement and gender equality.
Florence Tumuheirwe, Executive Director of Kigezi Women in Development, revealed that human rights advocates often face strong opposition from religious and traditional leaders, particularly regarding children accessing sex education.
She highlighted the need for community initiatives that address the root causes of teenage pregnancies and early marriages, such as poverty, lack of education, and cultural norms.
Tumuheirwe emphasized advocating for girls' rights to education and equal opportunities to shift societal norms that perpetuate early marriages.
Dr. Gilbert Mateka, Kabale District Health Officer, noted that health facilities are dealing with the consequences of teenage pregnancies due to the community's failure to prevent them.
He called for a unified effort to protect the girls, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures.
“The national teenage pregnancy rate has remained between 23% and 24% for the past 3-4 years. As Kabale district, we report an average of 13000 teenage pregnancies annually," Dr. Mateeka said.
“Most of these are girls, who later drop out of school to become mothers, while others die during childbirth due to complications from unsafe abortions."
Politicians, led by Kabale Municipality's Central Division Chairperson Sam Alinaitwe, expressed the challenges they face in advocating against teenage pregnancies due to conflicting factors, such as the use of condoms. Alinaitwe urged fellow politicians to invest in children's future.
Some religious leaders acknowledged that while their holy books advocate for abstinence until marriage, health facilities owned by their denominations have adopted measures such as condom use and sex education outreaches.
However, they stressed that top religious leaders often do not participate in these conversations and remain biased against SRHR services, paying little attention to preventive measures.
The advocates also highlighted the importance of good parenting in preventing teenage pregnancies and early marriages.
They emphasized that parents play a crucial role in guiding and educating their children about the consequences of early sexual activity and the importance of staying in school.