Recently, I watched on a local television channel a story of a young girl whose parents had forced her into marriage because she got pregnant.

The police asked the girl’s parents why they gave away their daughter into marriage before reaching the age of consent. In response, the parents claimed they had sent her to the man to take care of the pregnancy until she gives birth, and not for marriage.

Many stories about parents marrying off girls before the age of 18 have occasionally featured in the media. These are things you would think are no longer happening, most especially with laws against defilement. Surprisingly, however, the practice looks to be on the increase. But where is the problem? What can be done to prevent such practice?

An early pregnancy is the worst experience any parent would wish to his school-going daughter. Such news is very shocking. It is quite disappointing that our girls still get premarital/unwanted pregnancies, and few are able to go back to school. We should never give up telling our girls to abstain from sex until marriage.

But in case your girl gets pregnant, don’t treat her with harshness. She needs your counseling and support throughout. As a parent, put in place preventive measures to avoid similar occurrences in future.