Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the occasion of October 15th, the Day of the Girl Child, the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports and its development partners reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring gender equality and strengthening girls' rights.
At an event in Vientiane, the capital, Kingmano Phommahaxay, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports of Laos, emphasized the importance of empowering young women, noting that Laos has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the region. Specifically, Laos' adolescent fertility rate rose from 83 per 1,000 in 2017 to 89 per 1,000 in 2023 in just six years. During the same period, the marriage rate among girls aged 15-19 also increased by 3 percentage points, reaching 26.5%.
Also at the event, Bakhtiyor Kadyrov, UNFPA Representative in Laos, stressed the importance of investing in girls. He emphasized, "Empowering adolescent girls not only benefits them but also strengthens the nation's future." He stated that it is necessary to continue providing girls with life skills and ensuring their access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. (End)
