Kenya’s pregnant teenagers aren’t getting the support they need. These young women face massive hurdles, like access to healthcare, and social and economic challenges. Importantly, they often face stigma and discrimination.
Even in instances where programmes are developed to help, they face pushback. Critics argue that such support would inadvertently encourage more girls to become pregnant. Teenage mothers are painted as undeserving of such help because people attribute teenage mothers’ circumstances to personal choices and overlook the effects of the broader structural factors that shape their situation.
This isn’t helpful. Teenage pregnancy rates in Kenya are high. About 15.3% of adolescent girls start childbearing before the age of 18 years. The global figure is estimated at 13%.
