Dominican Activists Battle Child Marriage and Teen Pregnancy Amid Abortion Ban

Despite legal prohibitions since 2021, child marriages persist due to normalization and lack of awareness.

Activists in the Dominican Republic, where abortion is criminalized without exceptions, are fighting against child marriage and teen pregnancy through education.
President Luis Abinader, who pledged to decriminalize abortion in 2020, has yet to act on his promise.
Activists have developed 'teenage clubs' to educate adolescents about sexual and reproductive rights, self-esteem, gender violence, and finances.
Despite laws prohibiting child marriage since 2021, such unions are still common due to normalization and lack of awareness.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, for every 1,000 adolescents between 15 and 19, 42 became mothers in 2023.