The theme of World Population Day this year, Adolescent Pregnancy, is a call to action to empower adolescent girls.
There are more than 500 million girls in the developing world today. They are shaping humanity’s present and future. With the right skills and opportunities, they can invest in themselves now and later in their families and communities. Their rights, health, education and potential must be protected and included in the post-2015 development agenda. Depending on the opportunities or choices girls have during adolescence, they can begin adulthood as empowered and active citizens, or risk being entrenched in poverty, neglected and voiceless.
However, millions of adolescent girls face deep discrimination and exclusion that prevent them from claiming their rights and living out their true potential. They are taken out of school early, become vulnerable to sexual violence and coercion, and are subjected to harmful practices. They often are married as children, and face pregnancy and childbearing before they are physically, emotionally and socially mature enough to be mothers.
The consequences of adolescent pregnancy reverberate throughout the girl’s life and carry over to her children and the generations that follow. Educated and healthy girls have the opportunity to reach their full potential and claim their human rights. They are also more likely to marry later, delay childbearing, have healthier children, and earn higher incomes. They can help lift themselves and their present and future families out of poverty. They will be a force for change in their communities and generations to come.
UNFPA promotes the rights of adolescents and youths worldwide. Its multi-sectoral response to addressing adolescent pregnancy includes reaching marginalized girls, delaying marriage age, advocating for girls’ education, building economic, social and health assets, partnering with communities, and providing access to comprehensive sexuality education and SRH information and services, including contraception and HIV services.
