Cambodia's Teen Mothers In Crisis

As rates of teenage pregnancy escalate across south-east Asia, so too are the numbers of young mothers going without food − with devastating consequences.

- Corinne Redfern

It’s been three weeks since 17-year-old Choun Nita gave birth to her daughter, Choy Manich, and 36 hours since she last ate any food.

Her breast milk has nearly dried up and she needs to steady herself against the wall as she stands. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ she whispers. ‘My baby is so small and weak. I’d do anything to keep her alive, but this is all I have. I’m scared I’ll have to give her away.’ Her husband refuses to provide money for formula milk, she adds.

Nita’s story is echoed by thousands of girls across Cambodia, where the teenage pregnancy rate has doubled since 2010, with babies handed over to ‘orphanages’, non-governmental organisations and grandparents alike, as their young mothers struggle to find work in factories, rubbish-dump sites and karaoke bars. They dream of raising their family, but high divorce rates (older husbands often disappear) and a deeply ingrained Cambodian tradition dictating ‘men eat first’ means they simply can’t afford to feed their children.