Teenage pregnancy, early marriage hit 50% in Acholi

16 October 2026, 9:46 am

By Agness Agilo

Civil society organizations warn that 30–50 percent of adolescent girls aged 15–17 in Acholi face teenage pregnancy and child marriage. They blame poverty, harmful cultural norms and limited awareness, urging parents and leaders to promote equality, education and community sensitization.

The celebration of the girl-child has turned into a moment of deep reflection in Acholi, as new revelations show that up to half of adolescent girls are falling victim to teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

This was revealed during the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child on Sunday, 11th October, 2026, where Civil Society Organizations decried the high rate of teenage pregnancy and child marriage in the Acholi Sub-region.

Nationally, the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2022 put early marriage at 24 to 26 percent. But in Acholi, the figure is far higher.

Mirriam Mutesi, a Social Worker and human rights advocate with Women’s Probono Initiative, says between 30 to 50 percent of girls aged 15 to 17 are experiencing teenage pregnancy and child marriage, a trend she describes as alarming.

Mutesi blames the vice on limited access to information about the dangers of early sex, retrogressive cultural norms that treat girls as a source of wealth and poverty.

To reverse the trend, Mutesi is urging parents to embrace gender equality and give equal education opportunities to both boys and girls.

Her call was echoed by Tracy Nabale, the Legal Officer at Women’s Probono Initiative, who asked parents to stop viewing the girl-child as a source of wealth and instead keep girls in school.

As the numbers of teenage pregnancy and child marriages continue to rise, CSOs now want local leaders to step up massive community sensitization to save the future of the girl-child in Acholi.