FILE PHOTO: At 16, Tod was expecting her second child in 2013. With limited options for schooling, adolscents in some remote villages in southern Laos routinely marry and start the hard work of raising families by age 14 or 15. - UNFPA AsiaPacific
VIENTIANE: Youth representatives from across Laos convened to tackle the urgent issues of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) and adolescent pregnancy, with the country among those with the highest rates in South-East Asia.
A youth-led workshop was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday (Sept 17), bringing together youth volunteers and officials committed to ending child marriage nationwide, Lao News Agency reported on Thursday.
According to the latest Lao Social Indicator Survey, conducted in partnership with the Lao government and development partners in 2024, about 33 per cent of women aged 20-24 in Laos were married before the age of 18. Additionally, 16.7 per cent of women in the same age group gave birth before turning 18.
In response to these findings, participants at the workshop were divided into groups to explore the impacts of the CEFM and adolescent pregnancy, and to propose practical solutions.
Lao authorities and development partners remain committed to empowering girls and are working closely with youth and communities to promote comprehensive sexuality education, particularly in the northern provinces.
Child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are deeply interconnected issues that contribute to cycles of poverty and underdevelopment, undermining families, communities, and the country's overall human capital and growth.
The Lao government and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to working with girls and young women to protect and promote their rights. - Xinhua
