KATHMANDU, JULY 5
Despite the National Civil (Code) Act, 2017, 70 (1) (d), which stipulates if both boys and girls have attained twenty years of age, they can be eligible for marriage, teenage pregnancy is rampant in Nepal.
However, when guardians arrange the marriage of their teenage daughter, there is nothing she can do. Higher teenage pregnancy rates in developing countries are seen in economically disadvantaged and dysfunctional families and among teenagers who are not doing well in school.
Teenage mothers are those who deliver baby before reaching 20 years.
According to GIRLS NOT BRIDES, 33 per cent of Nepali girls are married before their 18th birthday and 8 per cent are married before the age of 15. Nine per cent Nepali boys are married before they are 18.
As per the law, the legal age of marriage for girls is eighteen years with parental consent and twenty years without parental consent.
The 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey key indicators report depicts that overall, 14 per cent girls aged 15-19 have become pregnant, including 10 per cent who have given live birth. Two per cent have had pregnancy loss, and 4 per cent are currently pregnant.
The percentage of women aged 15-19 who have become pregnant rises with age, from 1 per cent at age 15 to 32 per cent by 19.
Teenage pregnancy is highest in Karnali Province (21 per cent), followed by Madhes Province (20 per cent), and lowest in Bagmati Province (8 per cent). Women aged 15-19 with no education (33 per cent) are more likely to start childbearing earlier than those with at least some secondary education (8 per cent).
Likewise, the NDHS report also indicates that the percentage of women 15- 19 who have begun child bearing by caste group is highest among Muslims 22 per cent followed by Dalit (20.7 per cent), Madhesi (13.5 per cent), and Janajati (12.9 per cent). Whilst Brahmins and Chhetris have the least teenage pregnancy rate at 7.8 per cent.
Illiteracy and poverty are key factors leading to early marriage in Nepal. This increases the likelihood of adolescent pregnancies. Strong family pressure to beget a son within a year of marriage in a society where early pregnancy is perceived to have successful outcomes, leaves the female under undue stress.
"The worrying thing is it is more prevalent among the less educated, impoverished people. This makes them more vulnerable during pregnancy and endangers girls' lives," said Public Health Expert and HERD International MD Dr Sushil Chandra Baral. "This is absolutely preventable," said Baral, adding, "Changing community norms to address issues such as early marriage and other barriers that lead to the early pregnancy is necessary. It requires a holistic community approach such as focusing on education, addressing the level of poverty, and enhancing knowledge of pregnancy."
Society designates an unmarried teenage girl a minor and immature, but after she is married she gets the rights and privileges of an adult.
Besides illiteracy, there are social obstacles that deter adolescent girls from seeking medical contraception. It is stigmatising for a female to carry a condom or contraceptive. Moreover, if the female requests her partner for protective sex, she may be blamed for infidelity. Desire for virgin brides is another reason for teenage marriages and subsequent pregnancies.
Societal tradition and legal practice are contradictory. A girl less than 18 years is legally barred from having a driving licence as she is considered a minor, but she can become pregnant in her family and she is treated as an adult.
Thus, pregnancy among teenagers is mostly unplanned and forced rather than a matter of choice.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
