The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) welcomes and supports the stance expressed by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), recognising teenage pregnancy as a national scourge that requires urgent, coordinated, and sustained action across all sectors of society.
This position reflects the concerns the Commission presented in Parliament, before the Portfolio Committees on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Basic Education, highlighting the increasing vulnerability of girls, especially those in marginalized communities, and issues related to unintended pregnancies. These concerns are also detailed in the Commission’s 2023 report, “Learner Pregnancy – Policy Interplay: School Dropout of Adolescent Girls During Pregnancy and in the Postpartum Period in Selected South African Provinces.” The Commission emphasised the necessity for stronger accountability mechanisms, more effective monitoring of service delivery, and better multi-sector collaboration to address teenage pregnancy.
The aim of engaging the Portfolio Committees was to highlight the report’s findings and recommendations and to deepen understanding of teenage pregnancy as a rights-based issue influenced by harmful gender norms, coercive relationships, gaps in sexual and reproductive health services, and broader societal challenges. Through this engagement, the Commission aimed to ensure that the matter receives proper urgency and that relevant duty bearers implement its recommendations.
Additionally, the Commission’s strategic engagement in the Northern Cape on November 17 and 18, 2025, provided further evidence that teenage pregnancy continues to threaten the health, safety, education, and prospects of young girls. During this engagement, the CGE interacted with community structures, provincial departments, and civil society partners, who collectively emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive sexuality education, stronger child protection systems, and structured programs addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities.
To address this scourge, a deliberate collaboration is required between government, Chapter 9 institutions, civil society, traditional leaders, and communities. The collaboration must serve as a catalyst for intensified action, enhanced prevention strategies, and the protection of the rights and dignity of young people.
The Commission remains dedicated to monitoring compliance with gender equality obligations, advancing advocacy efforts, and ensuring that every vulnerable person is safe, supported, and given opportunities to succeed.
The CGE will, through its Department of Public Education and Information and various communication channels, continue raising awareness about girls’ rights to bodily autonomy, safety, and access to reproductive health services, and mobilise policymakers, communities, traditional leaders, schools, and parents around prevention and protection efforts.
Enquiries:
Spokesperson
Javu Baloyi
E-mail: Javu@cge.org.za
Cell: 083 579 3306
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