The Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities is hosting a stakeholder engagement today to address the growing crisis of teenage pregnancy in South Africa.

The department says teenage pregnancy has reached alarming proportions, posing a serious threat to the health, rights, education, and socio-economic well-being of girls. According to data from Statistics South Africa and the Department of Health, over 90,000 births have been recorded among girls aged 10 to 19 in recent years.

Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike has stated, *“We have normalised men having sex with underage girls,”* highlighting the urgent need to confront harmful social norms and hold perpetrators accountable.

To discuss this further, we’re joined now by the Deputy Minister herself, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike.