Soul City Institute's (SCI) Response on the decline in child and adolescent pregnancy rates

Soul City Institute's (SCI) Response on the decline in child and adolescent pregnancy rates

Soul City Institute (SCI) welcomes the recent findings published in the South African Medical Journal, which report a 16% overall decline in child and adolescent pregnancies between April 2021 and March 2025, and a significant 40% reduction among girls aged 10 to 14. This progress reflects the impact of sustained, multi-sectoral interventions aimed at strengthening prevention, protection, and access to information and services for children and adolescents.
Soul City Institute's (SCI) Response on the decline in child and adolescent pregnancy rates

SCI recognises that these gains are the result of coordinated efforts across education, health, civil society, and community systems, and must be protected and accelerated.

Education and Prevention

SCI continues to prioritise comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as a foundational prevention strategy. Through platforms such as the Soul Buddyz Clubs and Rise Clubs, young people are equipped with knowledge and critical life skills on consent, contraception, healthy relationships, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). In addition, SCI’s edutainment platforms including television, radio, and digital social media content play a vital role in shifting harmful gender norms, challenging power imbalances, and promoting informed decision-making among young people.

Parental and Community Engagement

SCI recognises that prevention cannot be effective without strong family and community systems. Through the Kurisa Kahle Parenting Programme, SCI strengthens the capacity of parents and caregivers to create safe, open, and supportive environments for children.

The programme focuses on:

  • Early identification of risks, including sexual abuse and statutory rape
  • Strengthening understanding of reporting pathways and protection systems
  • Encouraging age-appropriate, honest conversations about sexuality, consent, and relationships
  • Building intergenerational dialogue and shared community accountability

These interventions help shift silence and stigma into protection, awareness, and collective responsibility ensuring that children, especially girls, are better protected from violence and exploitation.

Youth-Friendly Health Services

SCI continues to advocate for expanded access to Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services (AYFS) and youth zones that provide safe, non-judgmental access to contraception, counselling, and SRHR information. SCI also supports strategic partnerships with organisations such as LoveLife and Shout It Now to strengthen service delivery and reach young people where they are.

Policy Advocacy and Systems Strengthening

SCI supports the implementation of the Department of Basic Education’s Learner Pregnancy Policy, ensuring that schools remain protective environments that uphold the rights, dignity, and continued education of pregnant learners and young parents.

SCI further advocates for clear and consistent guidance on mandatory reporting protocols for suspected sexual abuse and statutory rape, particularly within health, education, and social development systems. SCI emphasises that child pregnancy is often an indicator of underlying abuse and must be treated as a safeguarding concern within a coordinated child protection framework. While the decline in child and adolescent pregnancies is encouraging, SCI emphasises that this progress must not lead to complacency. Sustained investment in prevention, strengthened protection systems, youth-friendly services, and community accountability remains critical.

Every child has the right to grow up safe, informed, and free from violence and exploitation. SCI remains committed to working with government, civil society, and communities to ensure that this right is fully realised.

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