While decrying pregnancies among underage girls, First Lady Sandra Granger on Thursday evening issued a call for those responsible for statutory rape to be pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Granger, while addressing a fundraising dinner for the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) at the Pegasus Hotel, lamented that young girls are giving birth, while the men responsible for impregnating them are not facing any consequences for their actions.
“This is where the might and majesty of the law must come into play. Sexual intercourse with a child under 16 is statutory rape and all loopholes must be closed. I do not want to hear any excuses… like he didn’t know the girl was underage. Yes, we do have adolescent school boys fathering children but in many cases girl children are forced to have sex with older men or forced by family members to become a sex worker,” Granger said.
Often, she pointed out, the victims of these situations lack the critical information on sexual reproductive health, including contraception and Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) and, therefore, become vulnerable. This must be rectified, she said, while calling for improved and equitable access to sexual reproductive health services for young girls and boys, in an effort to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy and STIs in Guyana.
Against this background, Granger praised the GRPA for reaching out to teenagers with sexual reproductive health and family planning education.
“The GRPA has done and continues to perform a valuable service to Guyana by providing a service such as this… The importance of these services cannot be over emphasised. By informing our young people, we are protecting and keeping them safe,” she said.
Noting that Guyana, along with Belize and Jamaica, records the highest number of adolescent pregnancies in Caricom, Granger said there is a lack of information about sexual reproductive health and responsible parenthood, especially for young teenage girls. “There is a lack of antenatal classes which, if provided, significantly improves the health outcomes for baby and mother. We must have education on sexual reproductive health and family planning before any child becomes sexually active,” she added.
Granger further said that with education on sexual reproductive health and family planning, young girls and women are more informed and able to make choices which will not only assist them in their personal growth but will also save the country valuable resources. “Responsible parenthood and family planning has many benefits. These are in the areas of employment opportunities, financial security, stability, more decision making power, and opportunities to join social and civic organisations, earning power and independence among others,” she said.
