Teenage pregnancy rate in 2016 and 2017 reported at 19 per 1,000 among 10 to 19 year old girls in Fiji - Vuniwaqa

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa says it is alarming that the teenage pregnancy rate was reported at 19 per 1,000 among 10 to 19 years old girls in Fiji in 2016 and 2017.

While speaking at the Pacific Girls Speak Out event in USP, Vuniwaqa says some of the challenges teenage girls face are child marriage and other harmful practices, dropping out of school, early and unwanted pregnancies, violence and abuse, informal employment, a hostile home environment, and an insecure old age.

She says the way to tackle these problems that teenage girls face lies in how we empower the girls of today across our region and nation.

Vuniwaqa says Pacific Girl is an outstanding initiative that reinforces pacific girls' rights to a safe childhood, to decide for themselves and to education and skills and gives teenage girls the right to the future they deserve.

She says there is a $4.5 million investment to Pacific Girls for multiple projects, interventions that will be implemented by six Civil Society and Partner Organizations across the Pacific Island Countries.

Vuniwaqa says girls deserve to be loved and cared for and live in safety and freedom simply because they are people.

The Minister says adults have an obligation to ensure that teenage girls get that right and live in a world where all girls can be happy.