Negotiating Education and Motherhood: A Sociological Inquiry Into the School and Community Experiences of Teenage Mothers in Lusaka District, Zambia

Abstract

Globally, adolescent pregnancy and parenthood present major obstacles to girls’ educational attainment and future socioeconomic mobility. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated six million pregnant and parenting girls are out of school, and in Zambia the re-entry of teenage mothers into formal education remains under-examined. This study explores how teenage mothers in Lusaka District negotiate the dual demands of schooling and motherhood within school and community contexts.