“It Takes a Village” and Maybe Some Donuts
Teen parenting is a global reality. It happens in every country - from Namibia, to Norway, to North Korea. In developed nations it is often stigmatised and seen as a social issue. In developing countries, a higher proportion of teen parents are married and their pregnancy may be welcome by family and society.
Here’s what the numbers say…
Approximately 12 million babies are born to adolescent girls (aged 15-19 years) each year around the world.
Ninety percent of these births are in developing countries.
According to the World Health Organisation, in 2019, 50% of teenage pregnancies were unintended - and likely a much higher percentage in developed countries.
According to UNICEF, in 2022, an estimated 13 per cent of adolescent girls and young women around the world gave birth before age 18.
Globally, the teenage birth rate for women aged 15-19 years has been decreasing significantly. Between the years 2000 and 2023, the birth rate went down by approximately one third (down from 64.5 per 1000 women to 41.3 per 1000 women). However, rates of change vary between countries and within countries.
The highest teenage birth rates are in sub-Saharan Africa (97.9 per 1000 women) and in the Latin America and Caribbean region (51.4 births per 1000 women).
Clearly, 12 million teen mothers is a lot. If this number of teen mums was represented by iced donuts, there would be enough donuts to create a line reaching from the northern tip to the southern tip of France! Or if magwinya are more your thing (magwinya are African fat cakes, which are kind of like a donut without a hole), than the line would stretch right across Botswana!
Several factors contribute to adolescent pregnancies and births. Factors include: the pressure on girls in many societies to marry and bear children; limited education and employment opportunities; child sexual abuse; limited autonomy to influence decision-making about delaying child-bearing and contraceptive use; health worker biases, including a reluctance to acknowledge adolescent sexual health matters; and restrictive laws and policies. Many of these factors are outside the control of the young people who fall pregnant and give birth.
“Several factors contribute to adolescent pregnancies and births. Factors include: the pressure on girls in many societies to marry and bear children; limited education and employment opportunities; child sexual abuse; limited autonomy to influence decision-making about delaying child-bearing and contraceptive use; health worker biases, including a reluctance to acknowledge adolescent sexual health matters; and restrictive laws and policies. Many of these factors are outside the control of the young people who fall pregnant and give birth.”
It is worth noting that teenage parents are a diverse population. They differ in their lived experiences, personal characteristics, and their available supports and resources.
Young parents and their children deserve safe spaces and supportive networks. They don’t need judgement. Supportive and safe people can include friends, family, their community, health professionals and other support services who can be with young people on their parenting journey. Supportive services can be found in local and online communities. Everyone can contribute to creating a supportive and safe world. One where children and young people have the security and support they need to develop and thrive.
As the popular African proverb states, “it takes a village to raise a child”. The message is that it takes the support of many people (“the village”) for a child to grow up safe and well.
Some ways of showing support for young parents include:
not being judgmental;
standing up for young parents when you hear negative comments being spoken about them or to them;
voting for governments that provide universal education and help lift people out of poverty;
advocating for the rights of women and girls;
donating to services that support young parents;
believing in them;
if you have a good relationship with the young person you may want to ask them how you could support them more directly (practically, emotionally, socially and/or financially) - it is worth bearing in mind that parents of all ages can often do with more support - some ideas include:
maybe they would like to reuse baby items you no longer need;
maybe they would like help with the shopping, chores or meal prep;
maybe they would like to hang out more often;
maybe they need some extra money to help with expenses;
maybe they would like some tips or advice;
maybe they would like you to care for their child for a short time so they can have a break or get something done;
maybe they would like you to check in with them regularly about their mental health and how they are coping;
maybe they would like a hug;
maybe they would like some fresh flowers;
maybe you could let them know of good supportive services available locally;
maybe they would like to discuss their educational or employment options and pathways;
maybe they would like a good laugh;
smiling and speaking words of encouragement;
sharing positive teen parenting success stories; and/or
dropping over some iced donuts or magwinya and reminding them that they are not alone - at least 12 million other young parents are embarking on a similar journey each year!
If you know a young parent, consider dropping over some donuts or magwinya and remind them that they are not alone - at least 12 million other young parents are on the journey too.
References:
[1] World Health Organisation. (2023). Adolescent Pregnancy Factsheet Online. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy. Accessed: 24 May 2024.
[2] UNICEF. (2022). Early childbearing and teenage pregnancy rates by country - UNICEF DATA. Available: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/adolescent-health/. Accessed: 1 December 2023.
[3] Allen + Clarke. (2019). Expanded teen parents evidence brief. Wellington, New Zealand: Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. Available: https://orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Teen-Parents-Evidence-Brief/Teen-Parents-Evidence-Brief-2019.pdf. Accessed: 21 November 2023.
[4] Reupert A, Straussner SL, Weimand B, Maybery D. It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Understanding and Expanding the Concept of the "Village". Front Public Health. 2022 Mar 11;10:756066. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.756066. PMID: 35372232; PMCID: PMC8964422.
[5] UNICEF. (2024). Early childbearing can have severe consequences for adolescent girls. Available: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/adolescent-health/. Accessed: 9 June 2024.
Last updated: 13 June 2024.