Title:
A local perspective on teenage pregnancies after four years of interventions carried out by the Yes I Do programme in Liwonde, Machinga district, Malawi.
Authors:
Dubbeldam, Susan
Place:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Publisher:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute [etc.]
Year:
2023
PAGE:
ix, 44
Language:
En
Subject:
Maternal Health – Lessons Learned
Keywords:
Teenage pregnancy, Community perceptions, Malawi
Abstract:
Introduction In Malawi, teenage pregnancies comprise 15% of maternal deaths, making childbearing one of the leading causes of adolescent death. It diminishes the girls’ educational and career opportunities leading to financial and economic problems. In 2015, 29 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 began childbearing in Malawi. This percentage has been increasing since 2010. The Yes I Do (YID) programme was implemented in Liwonde, Machinga District and aimed to reduce teenage pregnancies. Despite efforts, this was not achieved. Objective To gain insight into the local perceptions of teenage pregnancy to make recommendations for future development programmes. Methodology A secondary qualitative data analysis was performed on data collected during the YID end-line evaluation. A ‘Gender and Rights’-framework, based on a framework developed by Goicolea, was applied to guide the data analysis. Results Community members perceive teenage pregnancy as a problem with significant medical, economic, and psychological consequences. The study identified that the root causes of teenage pregnancy are poverty, socio-cultural, and unequal gender norms, as they influence agency and freedom in the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) choices of youths. The current structures to prevent or mitigate the impact of teenage pregnancies, such as by-laws, are insufficient and might come with undesired effects, e.g., unsafe abortions. Discussion Future programmes should focus on economic empowerment, aligning socio-cultural practices with human rights and sensitising the community as a whole on the impact of unequal gender norms on youths’ SRH and rights, in which the community members take a leadership role.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute , VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Country:
Malawi
Region:
Southeastern Africa
Training:
Master of Science in International Health
Category:
Research
Right:
@ 2023 Dubbeldam
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
mY95DgHUVJ_20231107110507599.pdf