1. Preamble
On
10th October 2012, we the 120 children from east, central, northern
and western parts of Uganda gathered at Arch Apartments, Ntinda in Kampala
Uganda to discuss issues that concern us on child marriages and teenage pregnancy.
We desire to present these issues to leaders on the occasion of the
commemoration of the day of the Girl Child 2012.
Our theme was “Too
young to marry: End Child marriage and teenage Pregnancy”
In
line with the theme, we had extensive discussion on the causes, effects and
recommendations for ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy. We also shared
our real life testimonies on our experiences on child marriage and teenage
pregnancy.
This
symposium was intended to achieve the following objectives:
1.
To
promote meaningful participation of children who have been affected by teenage
pregnancies and early marriages and the respect of their views by all.
2.
To
advocate for more action on prevention and support to children at risk and
affected by teenage pregnancies and early marriages.
2. ISSUES
AND CONCERNS RELATED TO CHILD MARRIAGES AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY
·
Lack
information and guidance: during adolescence on how to manage peer pressure/influence
to avoid sex.
·
Lack
of parental care; we lack adequate parental care because some parents are too
busy to talk to us, some do not care, others sell their children to traffickers
and others are drunkards that they do not take care of basic need at home.
·
Poverty:
many children lack basic needs because parents do not care, are poor or drink
their money away. This makes children admire what others have, hence ending up
in transactional sex and early marriages.
·
Child
abuse: many children are tortured at home leading to running away to streets
and into early marriages. We are defiled at school, on our way to school, at
home and on the way from wells, leading to early pregnancy.
·
Lack
of life skills; children lack self-esteem and confidence to make informed
choices about early sex. For instance a boy can tell a girl that “I love you”
and instead of being bold a girl replies in soft voices.
·
Pornography:
we are exposed to pornography on the internet, films brought at home by parents
and red pepper which makes children to try to do what they see.
·
School
drop outs: we drop out of school early due to lack of school fees and end up in
marriage.
·
Discrimination
of the disabled: We are concerned that children with disabilities are
neglected.
·
Indiscipline:
some of us children are indisciplined, we refuse to go to school, tease others,
join bad groups, visit boyfriends, dress scantily and allow bad touches which
lead to early sex and early pregnancy.
·
Pregnancy:
when girls get pregnant, we face problems during delivery. When the boy makes a
girl pregnant, he starts doing bad things such as theft and child labour to get
money to care for the girl friend.
·
Other
risks; because of early marriage and teenage pregnancy, we drop out of school,
we are exposed to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and abortion which
many times end up in death. We are concerned about the teasing and being
laughed at that pregnant girls go through because they are too short and young
to carry pregnancy or get married.
·
What
about the future; we are concerned about the children of the future that girls
who get pregnant early give birth too. They may for instance not value
children’s rights because their parents were not protected in their childhood.
After getting pregnant and married, girls live a miserable life; the world
becomes small especially when the man does not take care.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS
ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY
We
recommend the following
To government
1. Strengthen enforcement of laws: on
child abuse issue, particularly defilement. So that people who defile and
impregnate children are arrested and punished. Fight corruption so that
defilers do not: “buy “police to win cases of child sexual abuse.
2. Care for children with disabilities:
we appeal to government to build schools and provide learning / communication
aides for special need children. We ask government to teach people sign
language such as doctors, police and drivers among others so that children can
be helped when they go to their offices for help.
3. Provide equal opportunity: for
education of girls and boys. Allow and support children who got pregnant to go
back to school.
4. Educate the public about protecting
children to eliminate child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
5. Abolish that business of prostitution
and promote poverty alleviation programmes.
6. Support poor children with scholastic
materials so that they do not engage in sex to get their basic needs.
To parents
1. Protect children: avoid sending off children
into early marriage, do not send children alone at night.
2. Provide for children: their basic
needs, avoid bad and abusive language.
3. Counsel and guide children about sex,
peer pressure and dangers of early marriage and pregnancy. Parents should mean what
they say, do not deceive children to go in early marriages yet you know that
there are problems.
4. Visit children with disabilities;
don’t abandon children with disabilities to schools.
To non-governmental
Organisations
1.
Educate
the public to protect children from child marriages and teenage pregnancy.
2.
Support
children who get pregnant to have safe delivery and go back to school.
To children
1.
Behave
well by being obedient to your parent’s advice and stop walking at night
2.
Abstain
from sex till you are an adult. There is time for everything including sex and
getting married.
3.
Be
patient: stay in school, be contented with the little you have and avoid gifts
from strangers/ lifts, bad peer groups and desiring other people’s things.
4.
Respect
yourself: avoid prostitution, short skirts and other bad dressing codes
5.
Speak
out: be bold when men disturb you for sex. Share the challenges you go through
with your leaders and adults so that other children are protected.
Our
appeal goes to the government to ensure that issues concerning children
especially those highlighted in the presentation are implemented. We also
appeal to members of parliament, NGOS, church leaders, community leaders,
school administration, teachers, parents, guardians, fellow children and every
one that children’s rights are human rights too. Everyone should do something
every day to protect children from child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
May god bless you as
you take the children’s plea forward in the next 50 years.
Gender unit-MoES
