Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents in Africa: The role of the courts
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Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Across the world, adolescents encounter various challenges that may implicate
the enjoyment of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The situation of
adolescents in Africa is aggravated by high poverty levels and a high disease
burden in the region. Some of the challenges facing adolescents in Africa include
high incidence of child marriage, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and
sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and maternal mortality. It is
estimated that 1 in 3 girls is married before attaining 18 (UNFPA, Marrying too
young: end child marriage. UN Population Fund, 2012), while an estimated 16
million adolescent girls aged 15–19 (most of them in poor regions, including
Africa) give birth yearly. Also, about 31% of young women aged 20–24 in least developed
countries gave birth before age 18 between 2000 and 2009 (UNICEF
et al., Violence against Children in Tanzania: Findings from a National Survey
2009. UN Children’s Fund, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, 2011). An in-depth study of
four sub-Saharan African countries found that 60% or more of adolescent men
and women did not know how to prevent pregnancy and one-third or more did not
know of a source for contraceptives (Guttmacher Institute and IPPF, Facts on the
sexual and reproductive health of adolescent women in the developing world.
Allan Guttmacher Institute and International Planned Parenthood Federation,
2010). The majority of about 300,000 women and girls that die annually (800
deaths per day) due to complications arising from childbirth are from Africa
(UNFPA 2011).
Description
Keywords
Africa, Adolescents, Reproductive health, Child marriage, Poverty, Maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, Violence, Children
Citation
Durojaye, E. (2019) Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents in Africa: The role of the courts. In: Reilly, N. ed., International human rights of women. Singapore: Springer