site.btaAction Plan Will Tackle Adolescent Births

An action plan has been developed for the cities where the highest number of children are born to underage mothers, Teodora Ivanova, head of the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP), told journalists on Monday. Ivanova took part in a roundtable on the prevention of child/early marriages and cases of early childbirth.

The discussion was organized by the SACP and included representatives from various state institutions and non-governmental organizations. The agency’s initiative against early marriages is part of its national campaign against child abuse, “Be Brave, Be Kind!”

When asked whether the measures taken by the state against early marriages are effective, Ivanova said: “It’s very difficult for a state measure to work when someone believes that this is part of their tradition or custom.” She added, “That’s why we, at the Agency, present the data and rely on support at the highest political level, both from the Minister of Labour and Social Policy and from the Deputy Prime Minister, who is determined that action must be taken in this regard.”

“We have developed an action plan; we know which cities have the highest number of children born to children, and we will focus our efforts on Stara Zagora, Pazardzhik, Sliven, Plovdiv, and others,” Ivanova said.

In recent years, there are almost no district prosecution service rulings stating that early marriages are part of Roma tradition, added Ivanova. She noted that a draft agreement with the prosecution service has been prepared to enable continuous information exchange and to help develop effective state policies for these children. “The children are not to blame, we, the adults, are. Most of all, the family circle is responsible, where these children see and hear that their mother gave birth at 12, continued having children until 30, and then started raising her grandchildren,” Ivanova said. According to her, this phenomenon can only be prevented through proactive measures. “No one intends to punish them,” she assured.

“In these communities, there are people with remarkable achievements, doctors, military personnel, who can help us with their personal experience,” said Teodora Ivanova. She explained that health mediators in the mentioned cities will be partners of the SACP. In her view, a real solution will come when the issue is raised at a high political level, which has already been done, and through on-site visits and discussions within the communities in different cities.

In 2024, the SACP sought to sign an agreement with the mayor of a municipality with the highest number of children giving birth, but the agency did not receive understanding from the local population.

Efforts will be united to minimize the number of children dropping out of the education system, Ivanova stated. According to her, children who give birth face not only health risks but also drop out of school and, as a result, fail to enter the labour market.

When asked whether there have been convictions for pedophilia, given that underage girls are giving birth, Ivanova said that the prosecution service could answer that question, but added that it is an undeniable fact that sexual abuse occurs.