On the 8th of March the world celebrates the economic, social and political achievements of women. The struggles of women are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. Lately, there have been frequent reports in the media that some girls in Tanzania are denied their rights to education. It has become commonplace to expel girls who become pregnant while attending secondary, and – as I understood from my visits in different districts – sometimes even primary school.
International conventions clearly state the right to education for all children. Preventing pregnant girls to continue with their education during an eventual pregnancy and preventing young mothers to resume with their education after delivery are actions in contrast to that right. The discussion has often been limited to the phenomenon of adolescent pregnancies instead of adapting a broader scope that could possibly identify different means to address the situation within the education system itself.
There is a positive correlation between education and an improved life situation for women. The literacy of women is vital to enable better health and nutrition practices for families and to empower women to participate more profoundly in decision-making and society. Non-discriminatory education has proved to be one of the most important ways to improve women’s life and enable sustainable development. The challenges to deliver education for all has been recognized in Tanzania and the enrolment of girls in primary school is now almost equal to that of boys. However the discrepancy between boys and girls enrolment seems to increase the higher in the education system you get.
Adolescent pregnancy has been identified as one of the main reasons why girls drop out of school. At the same time, experience shows that schools can play an instrumental role in the advocacy work to achieve an improved reproductive health situation with a reduction of unwanted pregnancies as a result. Therefore information about reproductive health and sexuality should be compulsory in schools and a dialogue between teachers and students, but also between boys and girls, young women and men, should be encouraged. An open attitude towards sexuality education is necessary, not only to contribute to increased knowledge, but also more important than ever as we face a ravaging HIV/AIDS epidemic.
One of the most sensitive topics of all in the education of young people entering adulthood is that of sexuality and sexual relations. Sexuality is universally associated with moral and cultural values. Of course we need to recognize that these values differ, but cultural sensitivities should never be allowed to exclude those who are most vulnerable from information about reproduction and sexuality. Today, the discussion of adolescent pregnancies takes place above the heads of the young girls who are affected instead of recognising young people as active agents with the ability to handle the information and knowledge. Young people should be educated in sexual and reproductive health and rights, and be motivated to take responsibility for their own sexuality and reproduction. An open approach towards contraceptives and abstinence, gender roles and cultural aspects is critical. The challenges are many. Training of teachers and teacher students will be required. Civil society advocates with specific expertise in the subject matter should also be involved in the process.
And it’s time to involve young men in the process. The information and activities to promote sexual awareness and reproductive health have often targeted girls and young women. But in reality, due to gender inequality and the existing power structures between the sexes, men have the power to decide when to have sex, protected or unprotected. This implicates that the usefulness of women's access to and use of sexual and reproductive health services often depends on men’s knowledge and decisions. An alternative approach used by UMATI – The Tanzania Family Planning Association in partnership with the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, RFSU, is to focus on young men as equal partners and to target them directly in the advocacy work to promote safer sexual practices. Both young women and men need to be empowered to make informed choices about their sexual behaviour. Only then may we have a positive impact on adolescent and unwanted pregnancies.
The countrywide dialogue on school pregnancies launched two weeks ago has the opportunity to promote an increased openness on sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and men. To commemorate women’s advancements and ensure women’s equality in all aspects of life, an important part should be to support the rights of education for all without discrimination, pregnant schoolgirls and young mothers alike.
Staffan HerrströmAmbassador of Sweden