The coastal southeast African nation of Mozambique, with its picturesque landscapes, belies a deeply rooted crisis. In Cabo Delgado province alone, more than half of the girls aged 15 to 19 have experienced pregnancy. This alarming statistic stands against the backdrop of the province’s oil, gas, and rubies wealth and a six-year-long jihadist insurgency that has plunged the region into chaos.
Despite its natural affluence, Cabo Delgado has witnessed the grim consequences of violence: a million people displaced, thousands killed, and education institutions in ruins. The intertwining threads of poverty, disrupted education, and the consequences of teenage pregnancies compound the challenges facing Mozambique.
Historically, the cultural and societal framework in Mozambique had such deeply entrenched norms that pregnant girls faced a ban from schools. Though Cabo Delgado’s education director, Ivaldo Quincardete, later changed this policy out of concern for soaring illiteracy rates – where nearly 70% of women remain unable to read or write – the problem persists.
Child marriages exacerbate this situation. Mozambique ranks among the nations with the most alarming rates of child marriages globally. Almost half of the women in their early twenties today were married before 18. These early unions, more often than not, lead to early pregnancies, truncating educational prospects and dimming future employment opportunities for young girls. This cycle of early marriages and pregnancies not only confines women to the peripheries of societal advancement but also perpetuates a cycle of poverty, vulnerability, and increased health risks.
The global mandate of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 stands at odds with Mozambique’s current trajectory. The region faces an uphill battle to eliminate child marriages in the stipulated timeframe. The larger East and Southern Africa region, of which Mozambique is a part, is home to more than 50 million child brides, with the menace of child marriages likely to ensnare another 20 million girls in the coming decade.
The health consequences for these young girls and women are dire. Mozambique has an alarming rate of 180 births to girls aged 15 to 19 for every 1000 births to women. This has been further strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted access to contraception and schools, pushing more girls into this distressing cycle. Additionally, the region witnesses high levels of new HIV infections among teenage girls, with six out of every seven new HIV infections affecting them.
Yet, the issue isn’t just biological. The weight of gender inequalities, damaging gender norms, and social barriers propel the HIV pandemic among young women. Practices like intergenerational and transactional sex further alienate them from educational opportunities and expose them to intimate partner abuse and sexual violence.
As if these challenges were not enough, the specter of HPV looms large, with cervical cancer mortality being the highest in the region. Not to mention, practices like female genital mutilation still persist, endangering many girls.
There’s a critical need for systemic overhaul. Girls need access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. This includes a spectrum of contraceptives, education on bodily autonomy, and provisions for safe abortions, especially in cases of rape. Protection services must be fortified to shield them from gender-based violence and any form of sexual exploitation.
Sadly, legal and societal barriers persist. Whether it’s the inaccessibility of essential services, child marriages, unintended pregnancies, or gender-based violence, the path ahead is fraught. Stigma, discrimination, and deeply rooted societal norms hamper any significant progress.
Mozambique stands at a critical juncture. The challenge is not just to rescue the present generation from the quagmire of early pregnancies and marriages but to sculpt a future where every girl is educated, empowered, and free to determine her own destiny. The nation’s progress hinges on its ability to bring about this transformative change.
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