"Get out of my house, you useless child!" Halima's father shouted at her. Halima had fallen in love with a young man and had gotten pregnant. Worse still, she had just been declared homeless. Millions of females face such ridicule and humiliation because of unwanted pregnancies. Funny enough, the same society that frowns at teenage pregenancy still frowns at abortion. But if you look into it deeply, you would realise that the rise in abortion is as a result of the way society discrimates against teenage parents. I am not 100% in support of pre-marital sex neither am I 100% against it. But if 2 young people decide to engage in a sexual affair, they should not be discriminated for the outcome.
If you still look down on pregnant teenagers, then you are one of the reasons for the rise in abortion. Imagine if you were in Halima's shoes; would abortion not be the most likely way out? But if Halima's father had not kicked her out, we might be welcoming another great innovator into this world. Am not saying youths should indulge in pre-marital sex anytime they have the opportunity, but what I am saying is that if they make that mistake, should we stigmatise them and make them feel like less humans for that? Of course if we do that, we are giving people more reason to carry out abortion.
Society and many institutions have also placed restrictions and stigma on teenage parents. For example, if a young girl gets pregnant, some schools would advise she drop out. But what if she wants to further her education? Abortion would be the next solution. Some churches would strip her of all previously held posts and label her with all sorts of names, and to escape this, she looks at abortion as a savior so that she could be accepted as a pious sister. Neighbors would ridicule her and call her all sorts of names. To avoid bringing herself and her family into shame, she flush the baby.
The craziest part is when certain religious institutions place bans on pre marital sex, abortion and contraceptives. And they still wonder why the rise in STD.
Everyone is equal; we are all earthlings, and we can all make mistakes. Why discriminate against people who made a mistake you could have made?
Take off the glasses of fanaticism and we would realise we have made so many mistakes.
#BeSmArT
-Valentine O., Gfaze Team
If you still look down on pregnant teenagers, then you are one of the reasons for the rise in abortion. Imagine if you were in Halima's shoes; would abortion not be the most likely way out? But if Halima's father had not kicked her out, we might be welcoming another great innovator into this world. Am not saying youths should indulge in pre-marital sex anytime they have the opportunity, but what I am saying is that if they make that mistake, should we stigmatise them and make them feel like less humans for that? Of course if we do that, we are giving people more reason to carry out abortion.
Society and many institutions have also placed restrictions and stigma on teenage parents. For example, if a young girl gets pregnant, some schools would advise she drop out. But what if she wants to further her education? Abortion would be the next solution. Some churches would strip her of all previously held posts and label her with all sorts of names, and to escape this, she looks at abortion as a savior so that she could be accepted as a pious sister. Neighbors would ridicule her and call her all sorts of names. To avoid bringing herself and her family into shame, she flush the baby.
The craziest part is when certain religious institutions place bans on pre marital sex, abortion and contraceptives. And they still wonder why the rise in STD.
Everyone is equal; we are all earthlings, and we can all make mistakes. Why discriminate against people who made a mistake you could have made?
Take off the glasses of fanaticism and we would realise we have made so many mistakes.
#BeSmArT
-Valentine O., Gfaze Team
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