It's not a crime to become pregnant

The lives of many young girls are virtually over if they become pregnant while still in their teens. Aside from unfair social sanctions, they are also expelled from school, thus wrecking their job opportunities. Pregnancy doesn't leave these girls much choice. Some resort to illegal abortion, regardless of how dangerous it can be, because they desperately want to move on with their lives.

It is welcome news that the Public Health Ministry plans to give pregnant students the legal right to take maternal leave and continue their studies after giving birth. However, some critics have already aired concerns that the draft law will encourage young girls to get pregnant during their school years.

"Having a clear law on the issue may indirectly convince youths that it is okay to get pregnant during their school years," child-rights activist Wallop Tangkananurak was quoted as saying on www.gotoknow.org website. But we beg to differ. And it's not a crime for a girl to be pregnant.

Without the law, schools will certainly expel pregnant students. Let's face it. Thai schools are conservative and hyper-sensitive about teen pregnancy. We can readily tolerate corrupt politicians, but the controversy surrounding the bill shows that we treat teen pregnancy as a serious crime.

Whoever says the law will encourage girls to get pregnant does not have a clue about the factors behind teen pregnancy and the situation that pregnant girls have to face. Many become pregnant because of lack of proper sex education. Indeed, reports and surveys in the US show that the number of teen pregnancies in the conservative "red" states tend to be higher than in the liberal ones, largely because of inadequate sex education in conservative states.

Thai schools also treat natural desire as a taboo subject because they wrongly believe that sex education will create curiosity and lead to students having sex.

But this law will certainly not promote teen pregnancy. Any sane girl would not want to experience motherhood so young. Teen pregnancies happen because of natural urges that no law or social sanction can prevent.

These girls should receive a second chance. Instead of sanctioning them, parents, friends and society should try to be more understanding, give them moral support, and allow them to continue with school. The alternative is that they end up in low-paying work, or prostitution, and cannot raise their child properly. Their self-esteem is affected, and that certainly affects their children.

Expelling pregnant students from school is not a solution. Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit agrees, saying he is not sure that expulsions are beneficial - the number of teen pregnancies not having decreased over the past few years despite the punishment. In fact, it serves only as the beginning of a self-defeating cycle in which teenage mothers end up struggling on their own.

This unfair social sanction also shows a gender bias in Thai society. While teen fathers get away with their actions, teen mothers tend to be socially marginalised. Thai society insists that girls stay chaste before marriage, but the same is not applicable to boys. Thai society tolerates men cheating on their wives, but punishes teenage mothers.

Jurin's initiative to ask schools to accept pregnant students should be supported. First, it would help to address the unjust social attitude against teen pregnancy. The law can spark a process of social change by telling the public that teen pregnancy is not a crime. In addition, these girls are entitled to an education as guaranteed by the constitution.

 Further, sex education must be properly addressed. By allowing teen mothers back to school, other students may become better aware of the risks and the importance of sex education.

It is a sin to restrict the right to learn. We are all responsible when society violates such rights. Moreover, it is not a sin to be pregnant. The prospective law will help provide comfort that it's not the end of the world, that there's still a life to be lived.