News
Teen Pregnancy During Covid
Play audio version
TRIUMPH Uganda Advocates for Better Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Women and Girls with Disabilities
November 27, 2021
JINJA, Uganda — Uganda has seen a surge in teen pregnancies since schools were shut down due to the pandemic. Rights groups say the lockdowns have deprived girls of the social protection schools offer, making them more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. “During this COVID period, the teachers have been helping the parents to teach the children about sex education, but the fact that schools have been locked for a long time, it has been hard to educate the children on sex information,” says Gorret Namwanjje, a 19-year-old self-advocate at Triumph Uganda Mental Health Support and Recovery Program. “As a result, teenage pregnancy has increased.”
TRIUMPH advocates for better access to sexual and reproductive health services for persons with psychosocial disabilities in the Jinja District of Uganda. According to the United Nations Population Fund, girls and women with disabilities face up to 10 times more gender-based violence than those without disabilities. What’s more, while young people with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health needs and rights as their peers without disabilities, stigma and misconceptions about disability – along with a lack of accessible health services – often prevent young women with disabilities from leading healthy sexual lives.
Namwanjje is a person with a psychosocial disability and a survivor of sexual assault. When she was in primary school, a classmate tried to rape her as they were walking home one evening. “I fear having sex because …my perception towards it is negative,” she says.
The young people have been affected in that they cannot embrace and respect their sexual life and fail to grow progressively.
Robinah Alambuya
According to the United Nations Population Fund, 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in Uganda in 2020, and in the first six months of 2021, close to 200,000 have been registered. A recent survey by Twaweza shows that 80 percent of Ugandans say teen pregnancy has become a bigger problem during the pandemic, and approximately half believe physical, emotional, and sexual violence has become worse.
Dorcas Kizza, a health worker from the Joy Medical Centre in Kampala, estimates that 75 percent of the young people she sees haven’t talked to their parents about sex. As a result, many of her patients have ended up pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease because of this lack of information. “Less than 10 percent of the parents visit the Centre asking for assistance due to the cultural reasons,” she says, “while others were never taught about sex education, which makes it hard for them to have this conversation with their children.”
Kizza encourages parents and guardians to learn how to talk with their children about sex. If they don’t, she says, young people will get the wrong messages from the media. “Parents should get out of their comfort zone and talk to their children because it will save them from a lot!” she says.
Robinah Alambuya, TRIUMPH’s co-founder and executive director, says there has been a longstanding hesitancy among parents in Uganda to talk with their children about sex. Adding a sex education curriculum in the schools hasn’t helped as much as she’d hoped. “This was put up in order to teach children about sex education, but the community has resisted it, as they claim that it will spoil their children. Most people don’t understand sex education, as they limit it to sexual intercourse,” she says. “The young people have been affected in that they cannot embrace and respect their sexual life and fail to grow progressively.”
Esther Suubi is a 2021 Disability Justice Project Fellow and a peer educator at TRIUMPH. @2021 TRIUMPH Uganda. All rights reserved.
News From the Global Frontlines of Disability Justice
Advancing Democracy
Rwanda has made significant progress in making its elections more accessible, highlighted by the July 15 general elections where notable accommodations were provided. This was a major step forward in disabled Rwandans’ quest for equal rights and participation. “You cannot imagine how happy I am, for I have voted by myself and privately as others do accessibly,” says Jean Marie Vianney Mukeshimana, who used a Braille voting slate for the first time. “Voting is a deeply emotional and meaningful experience for a person with any disability in Rwanda, reflecting a blend of pride, empowerment, and hope.”
Barriers to the Ballot
Despite legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act, barriers at the polls still hinder — and often prevent — people with disabilities from voting. New restrictive laws in some states, such as criminalizing assistance with voting, exacerbate these issues. Advocacy groups continue to fight for improved accessibility and increased voter turnout among disabled individuals, emphasizing the need for multiple voting options to accommodate diverse needs. ““Of course, we want to vote,” says Claire Stanley with the American Council of the Blind, “but if you can’t, you can’t.”
Democracy Denied
In 2024, a record number of voters worldwide will head to the polls, but many disabled individuals still face significant barriers. In India, inaccessible electronic voting machines and polling stations hinder the ability of disabled voters to cast their ballots independently. Despite legal protections and efforts to improve accessibility, systemic issues continue to prevent many from fully participating in the world’s largest democracy. “All across India, the perception of having made a place accessible,” says Vaishnavi Jayakumar of Disability Rights Alliance, “is to put a decent ramp at the entrance and some form of quasi-accessible toilet.”
Triumph Over Despair
DJP Fellow Esther Suubi shares her journey of finding purpose in supporting others with psychosocial disabilities. She explores the transformative power of peer support and her evolution to becoming an advocate for mental health. “Whenever I see people back on their feet and thriving, they encourage me to continue supporting others so that I don’t leave anyone behind,” she says. “It is a process that is sometimes challenging, but it also helps me to learn, unlearn, and relearn new ways that I can support someone – and myself.”
‘Our Vote Matters’
As Rwanda prepares for its presidential elections, voices like Daniel Mushimiyimana’s have a powerful message: every vote counts, including those of citizens with disabilities. Despite legal frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, challenges persist in translating these into practical, accessible voting experiences for over 446,453 Rwandans with disabilities. To cast a vote, blind people need to take a sighted relative to read the ballot. An electoral committee member must be present, violating the blind person’s voting privacy. “We want that to change in these coming elections,” says Mushimiyimana.
Voices Unsilenced
Often dismissed as a personal concern, mental health is a societal issue, according to Srijana KC, who works as a psychosocial counselor for the Nepali organization KOSHISH. KC’s own history includes a seizure disorder, which resulted in mental health challenges. She faced prejudice in both educational settings and the workplace, which pushed her towards becoming a street vendor to afford her medications. Now with KOSHISH, she coordinates peer support gatherings in different parts of Nepal. “It is crucial to instill hope in society, recognizing that individuals with psychosocial disabilities can significantly contribute,” she says.