Bishops of East Africa should support the education of pregnant teenagers

opinion
Elin Martínez

Representatives of the Catholic Church in East Africa will meet in Addis Ababa later this week to discuss "Vibrant Diversity," and "The Power of Peace". equal dignity and peaceful unity "in the region.

A good starting point would be to change the way the church treats pregnant teens.

Last year, in Tanzania, Catholic church leaders openly supported the government's ban on educating pregnant girls and teenage mothers. Archbishop Damian Denis Dally said that allowing young mothers to school "is not part of African culture".

After having a baby and having to leave school at the age of 13, Evelina is finally able to resume her studies. 19659007] In Zambia, Catholic schools – including those funded by the government – reject the government policy of school reintegration of young mothers and allow pregnant girls to attend. They often force students who become teenage moms to be transferred to other schools.

East African church leaders should seize this opportunity to reaffirm their commitments under the call of the African Union "Leave no children behind for the development of Africa ". This should include a resounding commitment to abandoning any policies or practices that discriminate against pregnant girls and young mothers.

These leaders should remember that there are many complex reasons why teenage girls become pregnant – including the government's inability to protect girls from badual violence. and around schools. Pregnant girls are often confronted with discrimination, punishment and exclusion. Pregnant students and teenage mothers are often left behind when they need the most support from their school, their family and their community. Turning their backs on these girls will only make their situation worse.

In Burundi and Tanzania, governments have chosen to deprive pregnant girls of their right to education. But they are a minority. Ensuring that teenage mothers of school age stay in school enjoys broad support across Africa, including Kenya, Malawi and Zambia . Our report, Leave No Girl Behind in Africa, shows that many countries have adopted policies or laws to protect a girl's right to education regardless of her pregnancy, maternity or status. marital. In doing so, a large number of countries have shown that keeping all girls in school is the right thing to do.

Catholic leaders in East Africa should not support the policies or practices that leave the most vulnerable girls in East Africa. This is what means "equal dignity".