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GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jun 9, CMC – Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, says nearly 600 children under the age of 16 had been referred to the Child Care and Protection Agency between 2020 and 2025 after they became pregnant.
Dr. Prasad told the National Assembly that the records of the agency showed that during the period 2020 to 2025, a total of 584 pregnant girls who were all under the age of 16 were referred to the Child Care and Protection Agency.
Dr. Persad was responding to a series of questions filed by the leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanda Walton, who spoke of a high number of teenage pregnancies recorded during the past five years, saying that it paints a troubling picture of the state of affairs of young girls in Guyana.
“The figure is actually deeply, deeply concerning because you’re talking about almost 600 children under the age of 16 becoming pregnant over a five-year period. And these are not simply statistics. Each number represents a child whose circumstances require serious scrutiny from a child protection, health, education, and law enforcement perspective,” Walton said.
“So what this figure suggests is that adolescent pregnancy among very young girls remains a significant issue that demands sustained national attention. It really underscores why it is important that our systems not only respond to these cases but measure outcomes.
“We need to know what happens to these girls after they enter the system. Are they safe? Are they remaining in school? Are they receiving support? Are these interventions making a difference? And those are the questions that the data should help us to answer.”
Walton also questioned the Human Services Minister on the number of girls under the age of 16 who had given birth and had been referred to the agency.
But Dr. Persaud said that data was not available, explaining that while the Child Care and Protection Agency’s system captures reports of underage pregnancy, the data is not further disaggregated to highlight the number of girls who would have subsequently given birth.
She said in her written response that the agency is unable to provide a separate figure for girls under the age of 16 who give birth during the specified period, 2020 to 2025.
Dr. Persaud said that such matters are treated as child protection concerns and are assessed to determine the presence of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, with appropriate interventions implemented in each case.
Walton also questioned the Human Services Minister on whether there was a mandatory referral protocol in place between the Ministry of Health and the Child Care and Protection Agency when a child under the age of 16 is confirmed pregnant.
But the Parliament was told that there is an established inter-agency practise that sees cases involving minors who are pregnant being referred to the CPA.
Dr. Persaud said private health care providers as well as the Ministry of Health notify the agency when a pregnancy involving a child under the age of 16 is identified, as such cases may indicate sexual abuse under the law.
But she noted that there is no single stand-alone policy titled Mandatory Referral Protocols, assuring the National Assembly that the referral process is guided by the Protection of Children Act, in particular Sections 4 and 6, and the Sexual Offences Act, which establishes that sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 constitutes a criminal offence, thereby necessitating reporting and investigation.
Parliament was also told that are established inter-agency procedures that are followed by the health, social services and law enforcement sectors.
Dr. Persaud said the Ministry continues to strengthen formal coordination mechanisms to ensure (4:48) consistency, timelines and accountability in the referral and response process, and is in the process of developing policies which were not in place previously.
But Walton urged that the new protocols and procedures must be put in writing, noting that the fact that there is a legal obligation and an established practise is welcome and is very important.
“I think, however, good systems should not depend solely on institutional memory or informal practise. Clear written protocols will help to promote consistency, accountability, training and oversight. What I had hoped to get from the Minister is that there are these protocols, they are contained in these manuals, so that we are sure that the system doesn’t collapse if somebody exits, because they are the repository of all of the institutional information.
“That was not forthcoming from the Minister,” Walton said, adding “the law provides a general framework.
“You have to, however, drill down to processes, practises and guidance for your officers as to how this report is done, the manner in which this report is compiled, etc. So I had hoped for a far more fulsome answer from the Minister, but I will be pressing more, because her answers have raised actually more questions than answers.
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