teenage pregnancy

NGOs Criticises Zille’s Teen Bursaries
- bursaries
- girls
- ngos
- politics
- South Africa
- teenage pregnancy
NGOs have slammed Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, for awarding bursaries to teenage girls who did not fall pregnant while at school.

Molo Songololo director, Patric Solomons, has expressed concern about the awards because the responsibility is placed on teenage girls when the issues in their communities and homes are much larger.

Solomons points out that these 14 girls, who received bursaries worth R10 000 as part of the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Project, are confronted with a whole lot of social pressures.

In the same vein, Childline’s Wynberg area manager, Cheryl Morilly, says Zille’s bursaries do not address why teenage girls became pregnant.

To read the article titled, “Zille’s teen bursaries slammed – report,” click here.

Source:

Independent Online
- Printer-friendly version
UNICEF Speaks Out on Pregnant Girl’s Deaths
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says pregnant girls aged between 15 and 19 account for 70 000 of the 500 000 deaths related to childbirth complications worldwide.

UNICEF executive director, Ann Veneman, points out that forced marriages are a contributing factor to girls’ vulnerability to early pregnant, contracting HIV and being sexually abused. She was speaking at the launch of the 2009 State of the World’s Children in Johannesburg.

Veneman says these factors also contribute to young girls dropping out of school. She emphasised the need for girls to be educated, as an educated woman is most likely to delay childbirth and seek better health care.

To read the article titled, “Teenage pregnancy is killing girls, says UNICEF,” click here.

Source:

Witness