CHILDREN’S MEMORANDUM

1.   Preamble

On 10^th 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