GIRLS: WOMEN TOO EARLY. Child marriage in Cameroon
Jan 13, 2024
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paolopatruno
Italy
Joined Dec 27, 2023
Christine, now 17-years-old, got married when she was 15 and lost her first child just three days after he was born, most likely due to an umbilical cord infection, when she was 16. She is now seven months pregnant and is also taking care of her three-year-old younger sister Mayron.
Rose, 16-years-old, is currently breastfeeding first child of five months. The father of the baby never came to take his responsibilities, so Rose’s father is the only one who is taking care of her and the baby as Rose’s mother has already passed way.
Christine dropped out of school in secondary two and Rose dropped out at the end of primary six, both due to a lack of financial availability from their families. Christine and Rose live in a very remote and rural area in the tropical highland forest in Cameroon, making their living through farming cocoa. They represent thousands of teenage mothers in Cameroon.
Many girls in the village drop out of school, having sexual relationships with young boys, and becoming pregnant before the age of 18. They start doing chores around the home and take responsibilities as adults. Girls become women too early, missing their childhood and adolescence.
Africa has the world's highest rate of adolescent pregnancy, a factor that affects the health, education, and earning potential of millions of African girls.