11 GIRLS (12-19) FALL PREGNANT DAILY

PIGG’S PEAK – The only baby a 12-year-old should be carrying on her back is a ‘Barbie doll’ but according to health statistics for 2017, 4 074 children actually give birth annually.

These are children between the ages of 12 and 19. This could easily mean that 11 girls fall pregnant daily, on average. Jane Simelane, who is the head of the department for the Gender and Family Issues under the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) Office revealed these statistics yesterday. Simelane was speaking during a meeting where chiefs were being educated on the Eswatini Nation Land Agricultural Commercialisation Bill presentation, which was being presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Jabulani Mabuza.

Births

She said this figure only includes births that took place at the country’s health facilities, adding that the number of births was far higher when one considered that some of the children gave birth at home. “Some commit abortions,” said Simelane. The meeting was held at the Pigg’s Peak Hotel and Casino. After Minister Mabuza had concluded his presentation, Simelane was allowed to briefly present on pre-teen and teenage pregnancies, which was when she revealed the figures. She also highlighted that the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act was meant to address some of these challenges. Simelane said one of the purposes of the Act was to reduce pre-teen as well as teenage pregnancies which were still rife in the country. Simelane told the chiefs that the Act was intended to ensure that unwanted pregnancies were avoided. During her brief presentation, Simelane further revealed that in many cases, some of the children, after giving birth, went on to have two more children.

Ruined

She said this was detrimental to the development of the country because the future of such children was ruined. Simelane told chiefs that in another report, which focussed on the education sector, in one year, 184 primary school girls gave birth and most of them had to drop out of school.

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