LAST WEEK, the Gender ministry launched a nationwide campaign to address the problem of teenage pregnancies. Information from the Gender Monitoring Office indicate that the problem involving mainly girls between the ages of 10-18 is blamed on poverty, negligence on part of parents/guardians, peer pressure and indiscipline among other causes. Apart from forcing young girls out of school, teenage pregnancies come with other consequences, like psycho-social and health complications. There is no magic bullet to stamping out this problem, apart from sustained countrywide initiatives, involving all key stakeholders: schools, parents and educating the young people about teenage pregnancies. While schools are supposed to ensure discipline among learners, parents have a big role to play to ensure proper upbringing of their children. This is because most sexual activities especially among children are a result of curiosity which unfortunately leads them to the wrong people. Exposure of children to TV and Internet especially at home should be regulated. Good parenting is very crucial to ensure that children are not exposed to any literature or material that exposes them to sexual simulation. The recent move by the Ministry of Education to introduce sex education in schools is part of the holistic approach to curb the problem. Children need to know about their sexuality as they grow up. If they are not told by the right people, they will end up getting this information through wrong ways, which partly explain the early engagement of children in sexual behaviors. However to achieve this, it calls for the involvement of every stake holder from the family, to religious leaders, communities and schools among others. The buck stops with everyone in this fight.
