Teenage Pregnancy, an Issue of Real Concern in Peru

Episodes of early childbearing are unfortunately quite common in the Region of Latin America and the Caribbean. Peru, the Andean country located in South America, is not the exception having an average which indicates that 13 out of 100 Peruvian adolescents are mothers or are pregnant. Sources also informed that this number has even increased in 2021, meaning that at least 1436 minors became mothers leaving low-income girls stuck in the cycle of poverty. As we can estimate from the presented data, Peru’s teenage pregnancy rate is considerably high and the country’s journey in fighting against the issue has not been very successful. To this, the question then arises: What are or are the causes of Teen pregnancy in Peru? And ultimately, which alternatives can contribute to the forwarding of the issue and its consequences on the national socioeconomic panorama.

Setting the matter of concern in a Peruvian context, it is vital to identify that the problem of teen maternity is not as simple as establishing new and more severe laws but it is predominantly a matter of culture. It can be said that Peru is still a very conservative country developed in traditionalist concepts such as sexism. Perceiving women’s role to solely engender a child, the complete repeal of abortion, and male dominance of the woman figure are ideas that can be recurrently seen in the Peruvian society. Young girls are taught not only by their parents but the environment surrounding them that they have to obey and not question men’ will, and likewise, boys are taught to see women as sex objects and treat them as such. On the other hand, numerous families oppose abortion methods and instead consider having a child — even in such conditions- as a blessing and as a ‘natural’ struggle that every woman has the duty to endure in any kind of situation. The great number of teen pregnancy cases can be also attributed due to the lack of sexual education provided to girls and boys. Sadly, there are still teenagers growing up without receiving proper education on the matter and consequently, end up in an unfortunate situation of early parenthood, and sexual transmission diseases, among others.
Unfortunately, Peru has one of the highest rape rates in Latin America. Sexual violence, especially against minors, is quite a deadly epidemic that many young girls have to live with every day. Most cases take place in the victim’s home, meaning that often fathers and uncles rape their daughters. And keeping in mind that Peru is a patriarchal society, some of the mothers who discover the act, later decide to protect the man because of economic dependence or because she believes she will be more secure. Up to the present moment, abortion is not even legal in cases of rape in Peru.
The harsh living conditions that people experience also take a determinant role in the development of the problem. In order to survive, people are incentivized to soonly bring children to the family for the purpose of contributing and helping in different activities within the household, this is especially seen in rural areas far away from the city. In this case, having more children equals benefiting from more helping hands.
As it is previously mentioned, the causes of early childbearing are mainly culture-related. Whether it Is violence against women or lack of education, all of these are somehow connected to the people’s mindset and the circumstances they live or used to live in. Certainly, the times are changing and society as well, yet the country of Peru seems to like sticking with the old beliefs and norms, thereby slowing down the possible improvements that could be done in the country’s economic and social sectors.

After acknowledging a bit closer the Peruvian reality, it is easy to conclude and agree that
an effective and profound mechanism to lessen teenage pregnancy is education. For instance, the implementation of a consistent academic program of sexual education and gender equality would teach girls and boys how to respect each other, know their bodies, recognize what is wrong, and set their limits with others. Additionally, Free and massive birth control programs for every single teenager would able them to be aware of the possible consequences of their sexual acts and how to react and manage them correctly. The empowerment of women would break the limiting ideas around women and will greatly change the girls’ perception and self-esteem. On the other side, Peru’s Ministry of Women should administer efficacious assistance and support channel in which real help is provided to families, girls, and women living in violent conditions all over the country. Finally, the decimalization of abortion in case of rape would liberate young girls from the burden of undesired pregnancy and motherhood.

Sources

• Paula Bayarte. “ Teenage pregnancy leaves low-income Peruvian girls stuck in cycle of poverty”, La prensa Latina, March 8, 2022.
• Dulcie Leimbach. “Rape in Peru. Stopping a Deadly Epidemic”, PassBlue. September 20, 2018