Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy

Over 30 Member Organizations are already working on campaigns on the prevention of adolescent pregnancy.  Find out what WAGGGS has been doing, and what you can do to address this issue.

Adolescent pregnancy is a global issue: 17 million adolescents give birth each year. These births carry high health risks for the girls themselves and for their babies. Each year, 60,000 adolescents die from childbirth and 2 to 4 million adolescents undergo abortions, the majority of which are unsafe. Over and above these statistics, early adolescent pregnancy often ends girls’ education and hinders social development.

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Health Organization believe that education, including non-formal education, is the real key to preventing adolescent pregnancy. The two organizations are calling on communities, parents, governments, schools and health services to provide opportunities for young women to contribute to society, and to provide appropriate education, information, skills and access to health services to enable girls and young women to make informed and responsible choices.

In December 2001, WAGGGS launched a campaign on the prevention of early adolescent pregnancy, focusing on young women under the age of 15, to raise awareness about the worldwide issue of adolescent pregnancy, and promote ways of actively addressing the problem.

The advocacy campaign was originally planned to last for two years, but at the 2002 World Conference, WAGGGS decided to extend the campaign for a further three years.

WAGGGS urges Member Organizations and visitors to the website to raise awareness about the high occurrence of pregnant teenagers and to raise support for youth organizations like WAGGGS which provide invaluable non-formal education programmes and support for the social, personal and physical development of young people. 

Why an Advocacy Campaign?

Tackling a problem on the scale of adolescent pregnancy may seem like an impossible task. 17 million adolescents become pregnant each year.

How can you or I make a difference to such a huge and global problem? The answer lies in the power of a movement of people to change society. Individuals alone can achieve something. Thousands together can achieve more. And as the world’s largest voluntary organization for girls and young women, we have a special responsibility to speak out about a problem which affects the lives of so many young women and their children.

WAGGGS believes that our best chance of making a difference on this important issue is by running a worldwide advocacy campaign. This is a departure from our usual focus on community based projects. For some Member Organizations, this may mean learning new ways of working. We hope you will find the challenge stimulating and rewarding.