"When we devote attention and resources to the education, health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, they will become an even greater force for positive change in society that will have an impact for generations to come. On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize their potential and contribute to our shared future." Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

 Today (11 July) is World Population Day, which this year aims to raise awareness of adolescent pregnancy.About 16 million girls under age 18 give birth each year. In developing countries, 90% of adolescent pregnancies take place within marriage and many have little to do with making an informed choice. They are often a consequence of discrimination, violation of human rights (including child marriage), insufficient sexual education or sexual coercion. There is therefore a greater need for reproductive and sexual rights to be a focus for the future; girls should be educated and empowered to make better informed choices about pregnancy.

“About 16 million girls aged 15-19 give birth each year, and complications from pregnancy and child birth are the leading cause of death among girls in this age group, especially in developing countries”, said Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in a statement for World Population Day.

Yet adolescent pregnancy is not just a health issue, but a developmental one, linked to poverty, gender inequality, violence, child and forced marriage, power inequalities between adolescent girls and their male partners, lack of education and the failure of systems and institutions to protect girls’ rights. Adolescent pregnancy prevents many of the opportunities otherwise provided to girls.

Dr Osotimehin called for governments to raise the legal marital age and provide informative, age-appropriate sexual education lessons as part of the curriculum delivered in schools. Additionally, he stressed that reproductive health services should be in place to support sexual education and help adolescents make informed, but healthy choices.

The UNFPA reports that “At least 200 million women want to use safe and effective family planning methods, but are unable to do so because they lack access to information and services or the support of their husbands and communities”.  3.2 million unsafe abortions take place every year, highlighting a vital need for universal access to contraception.

Reproductive choice is a basic human right, which many women worldwide are being denied. Reproductive health problems are the leading cause of ill-health and in some cases death for women worldwide of child-bearing age. Accessibility to health services which can assist and improve the lives of women suffering from such problems, will vastly improve the number of women dying or suffering ill-health each year.

By providing adolescent girls and women with the infrastructure that supports their rights and need for sexual education and reproductive health services including family planning, population numbers can be maintained at a sustainable level in line with world resources.   

The need for universal access to reproductive health was included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG Point 5), however this was not added until 2007. It is widely felt that this goal will not be met. Soroptimist International recently signed  a joint statement calling for human rights, including women’s sexual and reproductive rights, to be placed at the core of the post-2015 development agenda.  In an article in the Guardian newspaper, Diego Palacios, a post-2015 co-ordinator on UNFPA acknowleged that conservative governments were reluctant to see them included, but "we’re hearing lots of voices on the importance of including the reproductive rights agenda..…We have wide acceptance to consider the issue".

This year’s 57th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) had featured references to reproductive rights, access to emergency contraception and sex education in its outcome document. However, conservative governments and religious groups lobbied strongly to remove these points. Soroptimist participated in lobbying to ensure that reproductive rights were included; after much debate, an agreement was reached to include these references.

Providing reproductive healthcare, education and safe childbirth for both mother and child is a key priority for Soroptimist International. The 2011-13 President’s Appeal, Birthing in the Pacific focuses on improving maternal health in Papua New Guinea, aiming to save lives by increasing access to skilled birth attendants and health care services. Educating women about reproductive health and family planning is a vital part of the project – Village Birth Attendants are trained to pass on knowlege in their communities. Fewer than 35.7% of women of reproductive age use modern family planning methods in Papua New Guinea and this contributes to the high rate of maternal mortality; pregnant women  who are at the “extremes” of their reproductive age, i.e. too young or too old, women who have had more than five pregnancies and women who have pregnancies less than 2 years apart are at particularly high risk.

 SI Clubs have also been working to improve the provision of reproductive healthcare, education and to educate adolescent girls on their human rights .

SI Uludağ (Turkey) arranged an event for adolescent girls and their families on child marriage and how entering into a marriage at a young age may deny girls of many opportunities that are otherwise available to them. In attendance at this event were a doctor, lawyer and psychologist to discuss child marriage in terms of its health, psychological and legal implications. 

SI Cabanatuan City (Philippines) hosted a seminar for mothers aged 18-40 on family planning. Women were encouraged to bring their husbands with them in order to inform and educate both partners on family planning options available to them. The seminar also discussed reproductive health and viewed family planning as a way in which to ensure that mothers remain healthy and space their pregnancies.

In Kenya, SI Milimani Club (Nairobi) made a donation of approximately 800 condoms to Penda Health Clinic in Kitengela, Nairobi. This clinic provides low-cost quality reproductive health care services for low-income women and adolescents. Condoms were free to adolescents and those who attended were educated on reproductive healthcare.

Soroptimist International demands greater provision of reproductive healthcare, education and services to adolescents and women worldwide and will continue to work for the recognition of human rights for adolescent girls.