A 13 years old and four months pregnant. She was sexually abused. If conditions had not changed by this year, Fatwa would not only have had to drop out of school, but also possibly be forced into marriage. But now she dreams of becoming a nurse one day.
The Tanzanian government was held accountable last month for barring pregnant girls and young mothers from attending school. It is one of the few countries in the world where such sanctions are regularly enforced.
One month ago, another court ordered Sierra Leone to lift the ban. Let us tell you how things have changed in this West African country so that girls like Fatwa can continue their education.
The West African State Economic Community (EQWAS) court, the region's supreme court, ruled that it was "discriminatory" and violated the right of girls to education. Three months later, in March, Sierra Leone lifted the ban on schooling for pregnant girls and teenage mothers.
The country has long had a problem with teenage pregnancy - more than 35% of girls under the age of 18 gave birth in 2013. When schools were closed during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and 2015, the number had risen to 65% in some areas.
As the Ebola crisis erupted in Sierra Leone, the government banned pregnant girls from going to school as part of a government policy to "discourage other girls from doing the same." While 3,000 girls were affected by the ban in 2015, according to official figures, some estimates put the number much higher.
