School pregnancies:2290 cases of pregnancies recorded on behalf of the year 2019-2020

As part of the “Advocacy for the protection of children in Benin” project, the NGO Children in Solidarity of Africa and the world (We are) in collaboration with child protection stakeholders, hosted a press conference on the theme “Pregnancies in schools”. This, with technical support from Unicef-Benin.

School pregnancies constitute a scourge that threatens the education system in Africa and in Benin in particular. Faced with this phenomenon, the NGO ESAM in its project to support the advocacy of civil society organizations for the protection of children in Benin focused its thoughts on the subject. During this discussion meeting, it was a question for the speakers to highlight the causes, events, the consequences of pregnancies in schools recorded in recent years in Benin but also to propose some solution approaches while challenging civil society and the Beninese State. “Not talking to children about sex is a risk parents run. If you don't discuss sexuality with your parents, the street will take care of it, cell phones will make them invaluable victims, social networks and their friends will do the same”, said speaker Maxime Agoua, program manager of the Network for the Protection of Children in Difficult Situations (Respesd), to point out the responsibility of parents on issues of sexuality among young people and adolescents.

In its development, he suggested that 2016 at 2020, it was recorded in Benin 9369 cases of pregnancies in public and private schools including 2290 cases of pregnancies for the account of the year 2019-2020. “And for the speaker, the causes of pregnancies in schools are among others, l’ignorance, bad company, easy access to smartphones and social networks. To believe it, the phenomenon is stubborn and concerns everyone. Car, according to his words, the consequences of pregnancies in the middle are numerous. “This phenomenon has become so worrying with its share of harmful consequences on the health and future of the young girl”, he said. They are, to believe it, impact on children's lives, on society and on the State itself. They also compromise the education of young girls. He did not fail to lift a corner of the veil on the main authors of these pregnancies who are the artisans, students (garçons), teachers and Directors General of the public and private service. The speaker proposed some solution approaches including the demystification of sex, parent-child dialogue. According to the speaker, the fight against the phenomenon must be a behavior. “Sex should not be a taboo subject in sexual exchanges”, he indicated while suggesting integrating sex education into teaching.

Patrice Adjaho