By Eunseo Hong

(▲Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) / Data from World Bank Group (Interactive graph with more detailed data available at https://eunseohong.github.io/Data-Hong/)

The idea that “educated women make better choices for their lives” is not just an aspirational statement—it’s a reality backed by data. Globally, the adolescent fertility rate among girls aged 15 to 19 has steadily declined. In 1960, the rate stood at 92 births per 1,000 teenage girls, but by 2022, this had dropped to 42 births per 1,000—more than a 50% decrease.

▲ Map of Adolescent fertility rates by country / Data from World Bank Group

Despite this global progress, tens of thousands of young girls across Africa still experience pregnancy and childbirth every year. Another research done by the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child points out that one in five girls in Africa will either get pregnant or give birth before the age of 19. Such statistics draw a picture of a society one cannot begin to decipher solely by counting numbers.

Sub-Saharan Africa: A Vicious Cycle of High Fertility and Low Education Rates

For many girls from low-income backgrounds, pregnancy before and during teenage does not only interrupt education but also result in long-term social exclusion. This is especially so in Sub-Saharan Africa where the adolescent fertility rate is high, and education enrollment and completion for girls remains low.

For example, data from the World Bank Group (WBG) reveals that Niger has the world’s highest adolescent fertility rate, with 168 out of every 1,000 teenage girls giving birth in 2022. Meanwhile, 88% of girls in Niger fail to progress to higher education. Chad shows a similar pattern: in 2022, 135 out of every 1,000 adolescent girls gave birth, while 85% of girls had not attended higher education as of 2019. As of 2023, only 25.24% of girls in Chad were enrolled in secondary school.

The link between high birth rates and low education levels is clear, and teenage pregnancies seem like they are one of the main reasons girls drop out of school. These young mothers who are suffering from exclusion in education are subjected to a cycle of early childbirth due to low availability of sexual education, culture practices like child marriage, and lack of proper contraception. Furthermore, employment, health problems and social issues are also the concerns that these young mothers with the scarlet letter have to face inside their families and communities.

Education as a Turning Point

Programs and policies that keep girls in school have been shown to significantly reduce early pregnancies. Encouragingly, some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have made strides in breaking the cycle of adolescent pregnancy and educational exclusion. Seychelles and Botswana offer examples of how investing in women’s education can lower adolescent fertility rates.

According to WBG data, Seychelles recorded an adolescent fertility rate of 52 births per 1,000 girls in 2022, significantly lower than other countries in the region. The country’s Gender Parity Index (GPI)* for higher education—a measure comparing female and male enrollment—stood at an impressive 1.492, indicating substantial gender equality in education. Additionally, as of 2019, only 12% of girls in Seychelles were not enrolled in higher education.

The same successful example was illustrated in the case of Botswana. In 2022 the number of births per thousand girls aged 15-19 years was 48, which is very low compared to other countries in the same region. On secondary and higher education its GPI is 1.113 and 1.361 respectively underscoring stable access to education for young women.

However, the countries where adolescent fertility rates are relatively high, such as Niger and Chad, have ratios of inequality in education that are much higher. Their GPIs in 2020 were 0.394 and 0.481, which alarmingly highlight the gender inequalities in obtaining education. A high GPI indicates more gender equity and thus one can hypothesize that in the countries where the GPI is high, girls could be able to delay childbirth and plan for their future.

*Gender Parity Index (GPI) is an indicator that compares the female enrollment rate to the male enrollment rate at a given level of education. If the GPI is 1 or higher, it means that men and women have equal opportunities to access education. Therefore, it can be analyzed that countries with high GPIs are providing girls with the autonomy to delay childbirth and actively plan for the future.

Addressing the Challenges : The Need for Education and Policy Interventions

The harsh reality remains that countless teenage mothers across Africa are in socially vulnerable positions. These young women, who are in their late teenage or early adulthood still struggling with personal developmental issues, bear immense responsibility for raising children while facing negative judgment from their families, peers, and communities. However, more research is still lacking in addressing how the support for these girls and their children could be provided. Existing policies and programs are usually partial or implemented as small projects or do not possess the necessary organizational basis.

It is therefore crucial for policy makers to find solutions and relaunch educational policies for young to prevent teenage pregnancies. Financial investment should be designed to ensure not only girls enroll in school but also complete higher education more so in developing countries. Early pregnancy must also be addressed by carrying out comprehensive sexual education which otherwise exposes the girls to the dangers.

Education brings appreciation on contraception, pregnancy signals and health care seeking in need among the girls. Some teenage mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa have actually stated that they did not even know how to prevent pregnancy. This highlights the importance of creating environments where adolescents can receive thorough sexual education and learn effective communication skills in situations where sexual interaction is expected. Such measures would enhance the quality of life for individual girls and at the same time would enhance the social economic development of society.

Importantly, sexual education should not be confined to the classroom. National policies and advocacy groups should aim to raise awareness about the risks of adolescent pregnancies. Community health and contraception programs, school-based education programs all can assist young girls to understand risks attached to early pregnancy and where to go to get the help should their pregnancy be unwanted.

While the relationship between education and adolescent fertility is evident, generalizing this connection remains complex. This article addresses only the latest available data, which may not capture changes over time. Social conditions, ethnic values, availability of health care, and quality education have also not been properly considered in it; this might reduce the scope and the reliability of this assessment.

Understanding the interplay between adolescent fertility and women’s education requires a more comprehensive approach that considers these broader variables. This would enable the development of more effective educational strategies and policies.

Women’s education is a transformative force, not only for individuals but also for society and national development. The evidence is clear: as more girls attend school, the cycle of early childbirth and poverty can be broken. Governments and international organizations must prioritize action to address adolescent pregnancies through education. Education is not just about imparting knowledge—it is the seed of generational change.

Published on 9th December, 2024