Kicked out of school for being pregnant

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Every year 8,000 Tanzanian girls drop out of school due to pregnancy. But instead of working to try and bring these girls back into the school system, the President of Tanzania recently banned pregnant girls and young mothers from returning to school. And the President is threatening to fire any administrator who disobeys his order.

Petrider Paul works in Tanzania with young mothers, and she’s challenging this new order from the President. She’s started a petition demanding that Tanzania allow young mothers and pregnant students back into school. If you agree, you can sign her petition here.

Tanzania has long had one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy in the world, with 27 percent of young women between the ages of 15-19 becoming pregnant. Tanzania also has a high rate of child marriage, where girls as young as 15 are forced into marriage -- which pushes rates of child pregnancy up. But rather than focusing on protecting young girls, the President of Tanzania has instead banned them from accessing education.

Not only that, but the government has started to crackdown on anyone advocating for the education of pregnant students or young mothers. TV advertisements supporting education access were pulled, and a politician was arrested for supporting education for expecting moms.

In November, the government is going to be discussing child marriage, and Petrider thinks this is the perfect time to show the President that the international community supports young girls and moms in Tanzania. You can sign her petition here and help send a message that Tanzania needs to do more to help new moms get the education they deserve.

Quality education can lift families and communities out of poverty and increase Tanzania’s economic growth. Research shows that girls who are allowed to complete secondary schooling are likely to earn more and have fewer unwanted pregnancies and healthier children.

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