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500 signatures reached
To: Minister of Health – Dr Joe Phaahla
Make Pregnancies Of Minors A Notifiable Incidence
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We call on Minister of Health to make pregnancies by minors a notifiable incidence and ensure that all medical health practitioners including traditional healers ,are legally obligated to report all pregnancies by minors to the police.
Over the last 3 years we have seen an alarming increase in numbers of pregnant children, particularly those between the ages of 10-14, who by legal definition cannot consent to sexual intercourse making these cases potentially statutory rape cases. (1) Sadly there are no repercussions for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against children, since the cases get lost in the system due to systemic loop holes.
The sexual violence statistics from SAPS are silent on statutory rape, because only a few of these cases get reported, making it harder to gather statistics or institute investigations as to how 10 year old girls are getting pregnant and who the fathers of these kids are?
Over the last 3 years we have seen an alarming increase in numbers of pregnant children, particularly those between the ages of 10-14, who by legal definition cannot consent to sexual intercourse making these cases potentially statutory rape cases. (1) Sadly there are no repercussions for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against children, since the cases get lost in the system due to systemic loop holes.
The sexual violence statistics from SAPS are silent on statutory rape, because only a few of these cases get reported, making it harder to gather statistics or institute investigations as to how 10 year old girls are getting pregnant and who the fathers of these kids are?
Why is this important?
According to a paper title Teenage births and pregnancies in South Africa, 2017 - 2021 – a reflection of a troubled country: (2) over 12000 children between the ages of 10 - 14 years fell pregnant in South Africa. Although these pregnancies fall into the statutory rape category of the sexual offences act of South Africa, many of them go unreported due to social stigma and fear.
Last year the Department of Basic Education introduced the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools Act, (3) as a way to address the rising number of girl learners who become pregnant while still in school. The policy makes pregnancy by a minor a notifiable incident, where the school is obligated to notify authorities of the pregnancy. This has resulted in a number of cases being reported to SAPS and enabling better of collection of data. However this is not enough, as many of these pregnant minors are quickly pulled out of school and hidden from society before the child can show or the school can find out and report the matter to the authorities.
It is against this background that we urge Minister Joe Phaahla in the Department of Health to introduce a similar policy, that makes pregnancy by a minor a notifiable incident in the health care sector. The introduction of this policy will strengthen the existing constitutional Child Protection Act of 2005 provision, by making it compulsory for medical personnel to report pregnancies by minors to the police so that criminal investigations can be carried out so we can curb the ever increasing statutory rapes of minors.
Teenage pregnancy and early motherhood have a lasting effect on both the mother and child. Being a child of a teenage mother often means complications of the mother's pregnancy and delivery. In most instances these children and their young mothers are exposed to a greater risk of socio-economic problems. In south Africa teenage pregnancy and the prevailing cultural beliefs forces girls to drop out of school, trapping many in a cycle of poverty and being dependent on public assistance if not coerced into arranged marriages. (5) Your signature can help us fight the growing scourge of pregnant children, ensure that statutory rapist are arrested and that would be statutory rapists are deterred from committing these heinous crimes thus saving the future of vulnerable young girls.
References:
1) https://mg.co.za/news/2022-11-11-south-african-teen-pregnancies-keep-rising/
2) Teenage births and pregnancies in South Africa, 2017 - 2021 – a reflection of a troubled country: Analysis of public sector data | South African Medical Journal (journals.co.za)
3) https://shukumisa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/A-summary-of-the-Criminal-Law-Sexual-Offences-Amendment-Act-CALS-and-TLAC.pdf
4) https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202112/45580gen704.pdf
5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219236/
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9755883/
Last year the Department of Basic Education introduced the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools Act, (3) as a way to address the rising number of girl learners who become pregnant while still in school. The policy makes pregnancy by a minor a notifiable incident, where the school is obligated to notify authorities of the pregnancy. This has resulted in a number of cases being reported to SAPS and enabling better of collection of data. However this is not enough, as many of these pregnant minors are quickly pulled out of school and hidden from society before the child can show or the school can find out and report the matter to the authorities.
It is against this background that we urge Minister Joe Phaahla in the Department of Health to introduce a similar policy, that makes pregnancy by a minor a notifiable incident in the health care sector. The introduction of this policy will strengthen the existing constitutional Child Protection Act of 2005 provision, by making it compulsory for medical personnel to report pregnancies by minors to the police so that criminal investigations can be carried out so we can curb the ever increasing statutory rapes of minors.
Teenage pregnancy and early motherhood have a lasting effect on both the mother and child. Being a child of a teenage mother often means complications of the mother's pregnancy and delivery. In most instances these children and their young mothers are exposed to a greater risk of socio-economic problems. In south Africa teenage pregnancy and the prevailing cultural beliefs forces girls to drop out of school, trapping many in a cycle of poverty and being dependent on public assistance if not coerced into arranged marriages. (5) Your signature can help us fight the growing scourge of pregnant children, ensure that statutory rapist are arrested and that would be statutory rapists are deterred from committing these heinous crimes thus saving the future of vulnerable young girls.
References:
1) https://mg.co.za/news/2022-11-11-south-african-teen-pregnancies-keep-rising/
2) Teenage births and pregnancies in South Africa, 2017 - 2021 – a reflection of a troubled country: Analysis of public sector data | South African Medical Journal (journals.co.za)
3) https://shukumisa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/A-summary-of-the-Criminal-Law-Sexual-Offences-Amendment-Act-CALS-and-TLAC.pdf
4) https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202112/45580gen704.pdf
5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219236/
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9755883/
How it will be delivered
Via Email and a picket at the end of August 2023