Teenage pregnancy remains one of the most pressing challenges affecting adolescents across Africa, with far-reaching consequences for health, education, economic opportunities, and overall wellbeing. While significant progress has been made in some contexts, adolescent birth rates remain disproportionately high in many countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recognizing the critical role that faith leaders and faith-based organizations play in shaping community values, supporting families, and responding to social challenges, the Faith to Action Network (F2AN) will convene a regional webinar titled “Faith, Community and Adolescent Wellbeing: Learning from Efforts to Address Teenage Pregnancy in Africa” on 18 June 2026.
The webinar will bring together faith leaders, practitioners, researchers, youth advocates, development partners, and community actors from across Africa to share evidence, experiences, and practical approaches for addressing teenage pregnancy in diverse community contexts.
Why This Conversation Matters
Teenage pregnancy is closely linked to poverty, gender inequality, child marriage, harmful social norms, sexual violence, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Beyond the immediate health risks faced by adolescent mothers and their children, teenage pregnancy often disrupts education, limits economic opportunities, and perpetuates cycles of poverty and exclusion.
Faith actors are uniquely positioned to influence attitudes, promote supportive community environments, reduce stigma, and connect vulnerable adolescents to essential services. However, there is an ongoing need to strengthen learning and collaboration across regions and contexts.
What the Webinar Will Explore
Participants will engage in discussions on:
- The current realities and drivers of teenage pregnancy across African contexts.
- Practical experiences and case studies from faith actors in East, West, and Southern Africa.
- Successful interventions, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Strategies for engaging adolescents, families, schools, and communities.
- The role of faith leaders in prevention, stigma reduction, and support for adolescent mothers.
- Resources, tools, and partnerships that can strengthen faith-based responses.
Expected Outcomes
Through this webinar, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the drivers of teenage pregnancy, learn from practical experiences across regions, identify useful resources and tools, strengthen partnerships, and explore actionable steps to support adolescent wellbeing within their communities.
Join the Conversation
We invite faith leaders, faith-based organizations, youth leaders, researchers, sexual and reproductive health practitioners, gender and child protection specialists, development partners, government representatives, and community-based organizations to participate in this important dialogue.
Date: 18 June 2026
Format: Virtual Webinar (Zoom)
Together, we can strengthen faith-based responses, promote adolescent wellbeing, and contribute to healthier, more supportive communities across Africa.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KWwWm6CGTx6a7Iic07xKdQ
