As a staunch advocate of the education, health and rights of girls and an enduring believer in the power of young women to transform our world, I welcome the focus of this year’s World Population Day on adolescent pregnancy.  This sensitive topic demands global attention.

Far too many of the estimated 16 million teenage girls who give birth each year never had the opportunity to plan their pregnancy.  Complications from pregnancy and childbirth can cause grave disabilities, such as obstetric fistula, and are the leading cause of death for these vulnerable young women.  Adolescent girls also face high levels of illness, injury and death due to unsafe abortion.

To address these problems, we must get girls into primary school and enable them to receive a good education through their adolescence.  When a young girl is educated, she is more likely to marry later, delay childbearing until she is ready, have healthier children, and earn a higher income.

We must also provide all adolescents with age-appropriate, comprehensive education on sexuality.  This is especially important to empowering young women to decide when and if they wish to become mothers.  In addition, we must provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services that cover family planning and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.  And we must guarantee the maternal health services that women need.

When we devote attention and resources to the education, health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, they will become an even greater force for positive change in society that will have an impact for generations to come.  On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize their potential and contribute to our shared future.