Addressing South Africa's teenage pregnancy crisis: A call for urgent action
The Commission for Gender Equality has called for immediate, coordinated action to address the alarming rise of teenage pregnancies.
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The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) says the teenage pregnancy crisis facing the country reflects persistent failures across education, health, and social protection sectors.
The Commission said it supports the stance adopted by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), which recently declared teenage pregnancy a national scourge requiring immediate and coordinated intervention.
The CGE said it “welcomes and supports the stance expressed by the Department … recognising teenage pregnancy as a national scourge that requires urgent, coordinated, and sustained action across all sectors of society.”
It added that the position is consistent with what it presented in Parliament, where it raised concerns about “the increasing vulnerability of girls, especially those in marginalised communities, and issues of unintended pregnancies.”
Drawing from its 2023 report, Learner Pregnancy – Policy Interplay, the CGE highlighted long-standing structural shortcomings.
According to the Commission, it “emphasised the necessity for stronger accountability mechanisms, more effective monitoring of service delivery, and better multi-sector collaboration to address teenage pregnancy.”
The Commission said its engagements with parliamentary committees were designed “to highlight the report’s findings and recommendations and to deepen understanding of teenage pregnancy as a rights-based issue influenced by harmful gender norms, coercive relationships, gaps in sexual and reproductive health services, and broader societal challenges.”
It said its recent strategic engagement in the Northern Cape reinforces the urgency.
The Commission found that teenage pregnancy “continues to threaten the health, safety, education, and prospects of young girls.”
Stakeholders in the province “collectively emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive sexuality education, stronger child protection systems, and structured programmes addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities.”
To shift current trends, the CGE stressed that “a deliberate collaboration is required between government, Chapter 9 institutions, civil society, traditional leaders, and communities.” Such collaboration should act as “a catalyst for intensified action, enhanced prevention strategies, and the protection of the rights and dignity of young people.”
The Commission reaffirmed that it “remains dedicated to monitoring compliance with gender equality obligations, advancing advocacy efforts, and ensuring that every vulnerable person is safe, supported, and given opportunities to succeed.”
It added that the Department of Public Education and Information will continue “raising awareness about girls’ rights to bodily autonomy, safety, and access to reproductive health services, and mobilise policymakers, communities, traditional leaders, schools, and parents around prevention and protection efforts.”