The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked unprecedented havoc on children, families and communities around the globe, disrupting vital services and putting millions of lives at risk. Since March, attempts to avert the global health crisis have seen nationwide school closures in 194 countries.
In the first three months of lockdown in Ghana, Efua*鈥檚 community in Krachi West experienced an almost nine-fold . She and 50 other girls have been reported pregnant between March and May 2020 鈥 in comparison to six cases of adolescent pregnancy recorded in all of 2018.
The trend has not been limited to Krachi West. Word Vision International, a member of UNESCO鈥檚 COVID-19 Global Education Coalition, published a spotlighting the increase in adolescent pregnancy, known to be exacerbated by school closures in times of crisis.
World Vision International estimates that as many as one million girls across sub-Saharan Africa may be blocked from returning to school due to pregnancy during COVID-19 school closures.
Efua, aged 17, was preparing to take her Basic Education Certificate Examination before COVID-19 hit earlier this year. She鈥檚 now out of school and her mother鈥檚 salmon business has been struggling during the lockdown.
Efua was sexually exploited by a young man in her community who took advantage of her mother鈥檚 financial struggles when her salmon business suffered. He offered to support Efua and used this offer to have sexual intercourse with her during the school closures.
鈥淗e told me he loves me and I became pregnant after some time with him鈥, Efua explained tearfully. 鈥淲e stay close to his grandmother鈥檚 house so whenever he comes to visit her, he passes by my house to see me too.鈥
Many of the pregnancies in Krachi West stemmed from the lockdown established to halt the spread of COVID-19. Factors leading to adolescent pregnancies include the loss of livelihood by parents, poverty, sexual exploitation and abuse, risky adolescent behaviours, limited structure and support, as well as a lack of education about sexual and reproductive health.
Young mothers in the region face many challenges to continue their studies after pregnancy and childbirth. Ghana has recently changed its re-enrolment policy and made secondary school free, making it easier for young mothers to continue their education and schooling. However, many countries in Africa still have policies and practices that make it harder for adolescent mothers to return to school.
In Ghana, although the legal age of marriage is 18, a girl older than age 16 can consent to having sex. But if a girl is sexually exploited and becomes pregnant at age 16 or 17, there is no provision for any form of sanction facing the perpetrator. The young mother must bear the brunt alone.
Efua wants to continue her education after her child is born irrespective of the challenges and the stigma associated with being a young mother, so that she can achieve her goals in the future.
鈥淪chools have closed down because of COVID-19 so I find it hard to learn on my own鈥, says Efua. 鈥淚 want to continue to go to school because I want to become a good person in the future.鈥
World Vision Ghana and partners are working with local authorities to develop bylaws to enforce, prohibit and sanction perpetrators of sexual exploitation or abuse against girls while awaiting the long and laborious legislation review process to go through.
*Efua鈥檚 name has been changed to keep her identity safe. This article has been developed in collaboration with World Vision Ghana and World Vision International.
The was launched by UNESCO at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as a platform for collaboration and exchange to protect the right to education during this unprecedented crisis. It currently brings together over 140 members from the UN family, civil society, academia and the private sector, among others.
The of the Global Education Coalition works to address the gender dimensions of COVID-19鈥檚 impact on education and safeguard progress made on gender equality in education. It has recently to ensure #LearningNeverStops for every girl everywhere.
Photos : World Vision
