One of the drastic effects of the ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone is the high rate of teenage pregnancy during the closure of schools in the country. According to a recent Government led research, there are over 14,000 (under 18) pregnant girls in the country.
Because of this high number of pregnant girls, civil society organizations known as ‘CSO Collective against Early Pregnancy and Marriage’ (CCEPM) are calling on the government of President Koroma to lift the ban on exams for pregnant girls to enable them further their education despite being pregnant.
Lead women activist, Yasmin Jusu Sherriff, in a press briefing held at Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ) conference hall, said it is counter-productive and wasteful for government to have paid for and entered girls for exams, then later prevent them from sitting the exam just because they were visibly pregnant at the time of the exams.
She mentioned that ban on exams discourages girls who are anxious to continue their learning, noting that a survey conducted by Global Council of Population indicates that 90% of girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy are likely not to return back for fear of stigmatization and in Sierra Leone, she added, the figure is higher than 95%.
She said ccepm is also concerned that some of the girls who are visibly pregnant now are not being allowed to register for the March West African Senior Certificate Exams (WASCE) for 2016, urging that actions needs to ensure that all girls who wish to register for the exams are allowed and encouraged to do so regardless of pregnancy.
Yasmin mentioned that they have been actively engaged with government stakeholders, religious and women organizations in frank and constructive discussion on a wide range of issues related to promote and protect girl’s education and the ban on exams.
“We received concrete responses from these stakeholders who after reviewing the issues and have decided to support our campaign to allow pregnant girls to sit to their exams which is essential for their individual empowerment as well as national development,” Yasmin Jusu-Sherrif concluded.
Zainab Tunkara-Clarkson of Sierra Leone Business Women’s Hub, advocating for women’s economic empowerment, said the government should lift the ban because, according to her, “when u educate a girl you have educated a nation”; therefore our girls should be allowed to further their education.
Zainab also explained that they have been able to engage the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs who have promised to write a letter to the President on the issue of lifting the ban on pregnant girls.
By Mariam Sulaiman Bah
Thursday November 26, 2015
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