The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has welcomed the decision by Parliament to ensure that pregnant learners and boys who impregnated them are allowed to continue attending school.
The Teenage Pregnancy Policy that was passed by the cabinet will come into effect in January next year.
Recent statistics show that more than 33 000 young girls fell pregnant in the year 2020.
Spokesperson for the CGE, Javu Baloyi, said early learner pregnancies often create uncertain futures for the young mothers.
“We welcome the announcement that the Teenage Pregnancy Policy that was recently approved by Cabinet will be implemented from January in 2022. This will allow female learners who are pregnant to continue with their education, as do male learners who impregnate them. Early, unplanned learner pregnancies subject girls to socio-economic hardships, and the termination of their education during that stage exacerbates the situation by diminishing their future economic and employment prospects.
“The Commission also applauds the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for its decisive action to hold a plenary after 33,000 young girls fell pregnant in 2020. The meeting is a positive step in addressing the rape crisis, teenage pregnancy, and measures to deal with the scourge,” Baloyi said.
He adds: “The statutory rape and teenage pregnancy crises were discussed by stakeholders in our webinar on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, which was held on 31 August 2021 where experts decried lack of policy implementation to address the crises. Statistics point to around 120 000 learners falling pregnant every year. The Commission for Gender Equality will be monitoring the implementation plan and will where necessary, engage both the DBE and Provincial Departments of Education”.
