An exhibition of cartoons urging students in vocational institutions to prevent teenage pregnancy and dropping out of school was inaugurated in Chisinau, at Vocational School No. 2, IPN reports.
More than 1,800 teenage girls became mothers nationwide in 2020, with the incidence being four times higher in villages than in cities. Of the total number, about a quarter are girls under the age of 17. About 20% of 19-year-old pregnant girls are in their second pregnancy.
For the 2019-2020 academic year, 20 institutions in Moldova reported a number of 67 pregnancies, and one of five girls dropped out of school due to pregnancy.
The graphic works illustrate ten potential situations where teenage parents could find themselves in and creatively points out the personal, health and developmental issues associated with a teenage pregnancy.
The exhibition is planned to travel to be displayed in 11 other Chisinau schools, before traveling to Cahul, Orhei, Nisporeni, Rezina, Bălți, Râșcani, and Edineț.
“A teenage pregnancy is often an unplanned pregnancy, and girls and boys have to deal with a situation that they did not choose and are not prepared for. Limited access to sex education in schools and stereotypes about the sexual and reproductive rights and health of adolescents and young people are among the key factors contributing to adolescent pregnancies. Empowering girls and boys to make informed decisions about their future, to adopt healthy behaviors and to develop life skills is the common goal of UNFPA, the Austrian Development Agency and the Ministry of Education and Research, starting in 2020 ", said Ludmila Sîrbu, UNFPA Youth Program Analyst.
Based on the works on display, the members of the Peer Educators Network, together with experts in adolescent health and the prevention of gender-based violence, will organize thematic discussions. Students from 12 institutions will learn creatively how to prevent pregnancy in adolescence, how to identify and report cases of violence, which will help reduce dropping out of school, and contributing to graduation and employment, according to UNFPA.