Terego top in teenage pregnancies
The team was in Terego to understand the challenges of teenage pregnancies, which have been denied education.
Terego: Police in Terego have been told to use the law and apprehend parents involved in marrying off young children in the district.
While attending a sensitization meeting at different venues of Terego district headquarters, Omugo girls’ senior secondary school, and Omugo health center 4 in Terego district with the aim of creating awareness on sexually and gender-based violence, without disclosing statistics, it was found out that Terego has the leading number of teenage pregnancies in the whole country.
Spearheaded by the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), led by Hon. Sarah Opendi, the chairperson of the association has been in Terego on the invitation of the woman member of parliament in Terego district, Hon. Rose Obigah.
UWOPA comprises all female members of Parliament but is also open to former female MPs and male MPs as associate members.
The team was in Terego to understand the challenges of teenage pregnancies, which have been denied education.
Hon. Sarah Opendi said that the laws in Uganda grant rights for people to get married at 18 years and above.
She said all the parents involved in negotiating and marrying off the young children should all be arrested.
“These children’s pregnancies contribute close to 30% of the maternal mortality and the high numbers of fistulas that we have because their bodies are still young, so they end up tearing during childbirth. My appeal to you young girls is to not get a second child; go back to school.”
Similarly, Sylvia Awas Vicky, a woman member of parliament in Nabilatuk district, urged local leaders to sensitize the community about the dangers of teenage pregnancies.
She advised the parents to play their parental roles so that the children could be protected.
“Let the law take its course; whoever is defiling a child will be penalized. Leave the issues of compromising mothers with the parents and the community. How can you marry off a child of 13 years and say that you are also apparent? If I had gone for child marriage, Nabilatuk would have missed a good leader like me.”
Hon. Rose Obigah, the woman Member of Parliament Terego, has told the community to protect the children from the perpetrators.
She told the girls to say no to sex until they complete their education cycle.
She further advised them not to play with their future.
“From today on, say no to every boy. Put on your knickers properly; my heart is hurting in the whole of Uganda. Terego is leading in teenage pregnancy; can you imagine you have undressed me? Why? What have I done to you?
Have you ever seen me pregnant? Why are you doing what I’m not doing? Why, why, why?
According to the report from the probation office, Terego registered the following number of cases from January to October 2023:.
Defilement cases were 52; physical violence cases were 97, of which 23 were against men and 72 were against women; child marriage was 233; teenage pregnancy was 2203; forced labor was 30; cases of forced marriage were 68, of which 45 were boys and 23 were girls.
The sensitization was carried out in areas of Omugo Sub County at Omugo Girls’ Secondary School, which attracted learners from the nearby primary schools, and later at Omugo Health Center 4.
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