Pregnancy must not end girls’ education — Gender Minister

The government has initiated measures to ensure that girls who become pregnant while in school do not drop out of education because of their pregnancy.

The move is aimed at helping affected girls complete their education and build productive lives.

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, who disclosed this at a capacity-building training for women in the media on the implementation of Act 1121, said teenage pregnancy must be addressed through both prevention and protection.

She said becoming pregnant should not automatically bring an end to a girl’s education, stressing that the fight against teenage pregnancy required a coordinated approach involving the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.

The training, organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, highlighted the need for stronger institutional measures to protect girls and women.

Dr Lartey said teenage pregnancy had multiple contributing factors and, therefore, required interventions across the education, health and social protection sectors.

She said although the government’s priority was to prevent teenage pregnancy, measures must also be put in place to support girls when pregnancy occurred.

The Minister said girls who became pregnant while in school should be allowed to continue their education where their health and circumstances permitted.

She said that approach was necessary to ensure that teenage pregnancy did not permanently destroy the future of affected girls.

Dr Lartey also expressed concern about the health risks associated with teenage pregnancy, particularly maternal mortality.

She said girls who became pregnant at a young age remained entitled to appropriate healthcare and protection throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

The Minister said the country could not afford to lose young girls to childbirth and must, therefore, ensure that they received the necessary medical attention.

She explained that the problem did not end when a girl became pregnant, as some teenage mothers subsequently had to assume full responsibility for their children at a very young age.

That, she said, created additional challenges for their education, livelihoods and future prospects.

Dr Lartey said the government was, therefore, pursuing a multifaceted approach that placed emphasis on prevention while also providing protection and support for affected girls.

She said some of the interventions fell within the mandate of the health sector, while education-related matters involved the Ministry of Education and the GES.

She added that the Gender Ministry would continue to work with the various institutions to ensure that the interventions benefited girls and women.

Dr Lartey said resources and efforts must be directed towards addressing the factors that caused teenage pregnancy before they resulted in pregnancy.

However, she stressed that girls who became pregnant must not be left without support.

She said the government’s objective was to protect the girl, safeguard her health and ensure that she had the opportunity to continue her education.

The capacity-building programme for women in the media was aimed at strengthening journalists’ understanding of the implementation of Act 1121 and equipping them to contribute more effectively to public education and accountability on issues affecting women and girls.

Dr Lartey urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration in addressing teenage pregnancy and other challenges affecting women and children.

She said protecting girls and women required not only laws and policies, but also effective implementation, public education and coordinated action among institutions.

By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw

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