To prevent adolescent pregnancies, we must stop blaming girls and start addressing the circumstances that make marriage and motherhood the only options for them, argues a new UNFPA report. The report – entitled “Motherhood in Childhood: The Challenges of Teenage Pregnancy” – raises the alarm over the dramatic increase in the number of teenage pregnancies in many parts of the developing world, and its impact on adolescent girls’ health, education and economic prospects. Every-year, over 7 million girls below the age of 18, including 2 million girls under the age of 14, give birth in the developing world. The overwhelming majority of these births – 90% – occur within marriage. At this rate, the number of adolescent mothers under the age of 15 could rise to 3 million a year in 2030.
In Bhutan, impregnating a girl below 18 years of age will land a man in jail, the law is clear on that. However, it is not much of a deterrent as teenage pregnancy is very prevalent in the nation. As per recent records maintained by the government the number of teenage pregnancy is increasing in the country by the day. It is a big concern for the country and the issue was tabled in the very recent parliamentary discussion of 5th session of the third parliament. The subject is time and again discussed in the every National Assembly session, but without any concrete outcome. As per the current law of the country the legal age of marriage is 18 years. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) has received 36 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2020. As per the data with the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), there were 8 reported cases of teenage pregnancy in 2020 and 33 cases of rape of a child above 12 years of age this year. RBP has also received 5 cases of statutory rape (rape of a child below 12 years of age) in 2020. Foreign Minister, Dr. Tandi Dorji, who is also the chairperson of the National Commission of Women and Children (NCWC), highlighted that there were 330 teenage pregnancy cases recorded last year. 167 cases were between 18-19 years while 163 cases were below the age of 18 years.
Many of the men involved in teenage pregnancy claim that they are innocent as there was sexual consent from the girls. The men say they are being penalized because men are not allowed to have any sexual activities with a girl below 18 years of age. For that matter, they are charged with rape of a child above 12 years of age as per the Penal Code of Bhutan. However, there are cases of rape where the girls are forced against their will. There are cases where underage girls are made pregnant by their own uncles and stepfathers. It was learnt that most of the teen girls impregnated come from the low-income group, and are students and from illiterate group. The probable cause of teenage pregnancy, as cited by the agencies that look after their welfare, are lack of sex education in schools, poor guidance by parents and access to pornography sites. The other cause could be negligence by the individuals, themselves, as they do not make use of contraceptives provided at free of cost, the agencies stated.
Complications are much higher in teenage pregnancy as the teenage girl’s body is not fully developed to be a mother, passage of the baby through the birth canal can be obstructed which may lead to death of both, and they may suffer from heavy bleeding. With such high health risks, the health department urges teens to refrain from getting into sexual activities however, if it cannot be helped, they can then make use of various available contraceptive.
Against the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the country, Foreign Minister said that one of the interventions is to raise the legal age for marriage. According to the World Health Organization, teenage pregnancy is when a girl under 19 becomes pregnant. The rationale of increasing legal age limit to 19 is to be in line with global law and reduce the birth complications. Giving birth by this age limit can have lot of complications and risk for both the mother and the child. Bringing legal marriage at 19 or 20 would reduce the problem help to deal strictly as per the law. However, rectifying laws alone cannot mean to curb the problem. Everybody has to give a hand. Health officials, teachers, parents and elderlies should take responsibilities to guide the children. Proper sex education and implications of early pregnancies should be given to the teen age group.
Another intervention against teenage pregnancy could be the adoption of “baby box” idea originated from Czech Republic and hugely successful in South Korea whereby teenagers who cannot afford to raise a child can put babies in a safe place as a last resort whereby they place the baby inside a something called “baby box”. The baby box should be equipped with a bell whereby every time the bell rings it will signal the opening of the insulated and sensor-equipped Baby Box. An organization must be set up who will be responsible to provide temporary shelter for infants and crisis intervention for parents. Baby boxes will be placed in the organization and door will be left open so that teens in crisis could place the baby in the box. These babies will be raised and cared for by the organization and later be put up for adoption in the country.
Baby boxes, or baby hatches, have been utilized around the world for centuries as places where parents can give up their children to others—a safe alternative to abandoning the child in the streets. But while many countries, including South Korea, Australia and Germany have baby box facilities, they don’t always have clear legal policies protecting the parents. legal protection for mothers to deliver anonymously and therefore, many mothers resort to delivering in secret without immediate medical care. There is also no law that prevents the government from prosecuting parents who leave their unharmed child at a Baby Box, nor is there a safe alternative for abandoned infants if the government decides to forcibly close the Baby Box facility. Therefore, Bhutan should look to countries like the U.S. and Austria, which have Safe Haven Laws that provide legal protections for parents to relinquish their babies with personnel at designated locations.
This blog hopes that it can help and possibly contribute to a reduction in the rapid increase in teenage pregnancies in Bhutan.
