Gender stereotyping and school exclusion of adolescent pregnant girls

Widespread harmful gender stereotypes against adolescent pregnant school girls (APSGs) often characterise
schools, teachers and education officials’ response to pregnancy in schools in sub Saharan Africa. These gender
stereotype which underly school exclusion of APSGs include, for example, the stereotype that the girls got
pregnant because they engaged in immoral sexual activity. In this regard, the exclusion is seen as a punitive
measure—penalising the girls for their immorality and serving as a deterrent to other girls getting pregnant. In
line with the theme of this special issue, the study argues that the gender stereotyping and exclusion of APSGs is
discriminatory against the girls and by implication women, as it targets them based on their sex, their unique
capacity to become pregnant and their actual pregnancy status. It therefore violates the rights to equality and
non-discrimination in the area of education which are guaranteed under several international human rights
treaties including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979
(CEDAW) which this study focuses on. This study goes on to bring together the obligations of States Parties to
eliminate harmful gender stereotypes These obligations which are scattered across the CEDAW Committee’s
jurisprudence, provide a clear framework for both upholding the rights of girls and holding States Parties
accountable under an international human rights paradigm.