Child marriages, pregnancies overburden teenagers

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief

TEENAGE pregnancies and early child marriages come with an overwhelming burden for youngsters.

They are also laden with great psychological and physical torture which can be tragic.

One such incident is the case of 14-year-old Sikhulile Sibanda, a victim of an early child marriage from the Lumene area in Gwanda District who died after enduring eight months of a severe illness caused by giving birth at an early age.

Sikhulile got pregnant at the age of 13 in April last year by 27-year-old Munashe Ncube who had eloped with her earlier that year.

Her family was able to locate her after she had given birth.

Sikhulile developed a heart problem and suffered damages to her internal organs as a result of prolonged labour, which led to her death.

Gynaecologist Dr Shadreck Gororo said teenage pregnancies have far reaching effects on youngsters which can affect them even in their adult life.

“It’s sad to see young girls who are supposed to be at school being impregnated or married off. This comes with a significant number of medical complications and some can be fatal that’s why they shouldn’t be impregnated in the first place. The first concern is that because of their age, these young girls are not able to negotiate for safer sex.

“Invariably, it’s not the pregnancy only that they get but it also comes with high risk of sexually transmitted infections. During the course of the pregnancy, these young girls are prone to develop complications such as anaemia, low blood level and a high risk of developing hypertension which is one of the leading complications even for pre-term deliveries,” he said.

Dr Gororo said this does not only put the lives of the teenagers at risk but the babies as well. He said pre-term babies, if not given adequate care are at high risk of neurological problems and poor development in future. Dr Gororo said a teenage pregnancy can therefore result in a teenage mother delivering prematurely because of complications and a baby with developmental issues, which eventually becomes a terrible scenario.

He said these youngsters are also prone to develop other complications such as diabetes, poor nutrition and poor growth of the mother.

Social scientist Reverend Muiti Sibanda

“When it comes to delivery there are also several complications because these ‘expecting mothers’ will still be small. The pelvic bones wouldn’t have developed properly which makes giving birth a mammoth task. These teenagers normally have obstructed labour as the baby might take long to come out.

“These mothers end up developing what is known as fistulas because the labour would have taken too long due to obstruction of labour. Such people leak urine and faeces after the delivery. These are significant issues that can interfere with social life even after giving birth,” he said.

Dr Gororo said a Caesarian operation can be used on a teenager to avoid prolonged labour but the process also has its complications. He said taking care of the operation post-delivery is a challenge to these teenage mothers adding that they are at high risk of developing infections on the operation after delivery.

Social scientist Reverend Muiti Sibanda said teenage pregnancies and early child marriages can have significant psychological and emotional impacts on the victims.

He said some of the consequences have far reaching mental effects that can impact the victims even in their adult life.

“Teenage pregnancy and early marriage often involve a loss of childhood and the abrupt transition into adult roles and responsibilities. So this sudden shift can be traumatic and overwhelming for young girls, leading to high levels of stress. These youngsters may also struggle to cope with the emotional and physical demands of pregnancy, childbirth and marital responsibilities.

“There is also an issue of low self-esteem that tends to develop. They may feel devalued or stripped of their dignity, which ultimately leads to a negative self-perception and a lack of confidence in their abilities and potential,” he said.

Rev Sibanda said the experience of teenage pregnancy and early marriage can cause depression and anxiety in the victims. He said the youngsters may experience feelings of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness due to the loss of their childhood, limited opportunities and the challenges they face in their relationships and daily lives.

“These victims often face social isolation and a sense of loneliness. They may be separated from their peers, family and friends, and their age difference with their spouses may create barriers to forming meaningful connections with peers. Hence this isolation exacerbates feelings of loneliness and contributes to mental health issues.

“The psychological impact of child pregnancy and marriage can be critical and long-lasting. They may also struggle with feelings of inadequacy, shame, and guilt, as they are often forced into these situations against their will,” he said.

Rev Sibanda said it is crucial for victims of child pregnancy and marriage to receive proper psychological support and counselling to help them heal from the trauma and rebuild their self-esteem. He said providing a safe and supportive environment where they can express their feelings and receive guidance can be essential in helping the youngsters to recover from the psychological impacts of these experiences.

The country recently joined the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

This year’s commemorations were held under the theme: “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls!” 

The theme called upon all of us to step up and support different prevention strategies to stop violence from occurring. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on 10 December with the International Human Rights Day.

The 16 days of activism period presents an opportunity to continue the social mobilisation that has been ongoing throughout the year towards the elimination of GBV and support advocacy around GBV awareness and prevention. The commemoration is spearheaded by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

Gender-based violence is a well-documented human rights violation, a public health challenge and a barrier to civic, social, political and economic participation. It undermines the safety, dignity and overall health status, social and economic well-being of the individuals who experience it.

In Zimbabwe, at least one in every three women have experienced physical violence while one in every five women have experienced sexual violence. In most cases, perpetrators are intimate partners. The Government remains committed to ending GBV and efforts are being put in place to ensure that comprehensive prevention and response services are available to everyone.

The new Marriages Act Chapter 5:17 outlaws child marriages by setting the age of marriage at 18 and criminalising child marriages. The minimum mandatory sentencing for convicted rape perpetrators has been set at 15 years, a great stride towards justice delivery.

The Government has also put in place policy measures and strategies to respond to child marriages. Under the education sector, a policy has been set to ensure that girls remain in school even after falling pregnant.

Cabinet recently approved principles to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill that will criminalise sexual activity with a child below the age of 18 as the Government seeks to harmonise laws relating to age of sexual consent. The proposed Bill seeks to raise the age from 16 to 18 as part of efforts to align the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act with the Constitution which defines a child as someone aged 18 years and below. The existing Act defines a young person as one who is below 16 years thereby creating a gap in the law which would possibly expose children above 16 to sexual exploitation. — @DubeMatutu