Adolescent pregnancy remains a pressing concern for girls in Cambodia

Adolescent pregnancy remains a pressing concern for girls in the Southeast Asia region, hampering their ability to pursue their dreams and aspirations. It is a profound violation of their human rights and imposes significant barriers to their personal, educational, social and economic development.

The consequences of early pregnancies are vast, perpetuating cycles of inequality and impeding progress towards gender equality. Globally, during the last decade there has been a steady decline in child marriage. In several countries in Southeast Asia, there has been either stagnation or an increase in adolescent pregnancy, often triggering child marriage or early union.

In Cambodia, most adolescent pregnancies occur in the context of union (marriage or cohabitation), but about one in ten women who conceived before age 18 did so outside of union. There is limited research on adolescent girls’ pathways to adolescent pregnancy, especially when it occurs outside of union.

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501328956/adolescent-pregnancy-remains-a-pressing-concern-for-girls-in-cambodia/