Every Last Child Country Spotlight: Peru

Save the Children is campaigning at an international and national level to achieve the greatest impact for children with the Every Last Child Campaign.

In Peru, 11% of babies were born to mothers under 18 years of age. It is estimated that 60% of mothers aged 12 – 16 years old, become pregnant as a result of rape. Adolescence is not a priority in public policy. Adolescent laws focus on control and punitive policies, rather than protection. Girls and adolescents have to face violence and gender discrimination with a lack of access to health services, including contraception and sex education. Despite a significant decrease in overall birth rates in Peru between 2011 and 2014, teenage pregnancies have increased by more than two points from, 12.5% to 14.6%. These unwanted pregnancies lead to social disadvantages such as low education, poor socioeconomic conditions; many involve girls who belong to historically marginalized groups, such as indigenous communities.

Read the full Every Last Child campaign report here.