Forced pregnancy

In the Rome Statute, forced pregnancy is defined as the ‘unlawful confinement of a woman forcibly made pregnant, with the intent of affecting the ethnic composition of any population or carrying out other grave violations of international law’ (Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 2002). The term refers to pregnancy resulting from a forced sexual relation or to a pregnancy that is not terminated despite the wishes of the pregnant woman or person.

To refer specifically to forced pregnancies in children and adolescents, the term usually used is forced child pregnancy. These pregnancies are the result of sexual violence, the lack of comprehensive sexuality education, and the limited or inexistent access to methods of pregnancy prevention and emergency contraception (CLADEM).

A forced pregnancy, especially in childhood and adolescence, entails significant physical and emotional risks. At the same time, it might promote dropping out of school and notably affect the child’s or adolescent’s social, family, and romantic life. Carrying a forced pregnancy to term results in a forced child motherhood, which was not intended or desired.