The Shadow Pandemic of Adultified Adolescent Mothers in Uganda
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6426052 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dorothy Atuhura (0000-0003-3077-2266), Doris M Kakuru (0000-0003-1046-7678), Heather Kathleen Manion, Tracy A Smith-Carrier (0000-0002-5806-8943), Jenipher Twebaze, Shelley Jones (0000-0002-2589-4376), Susanne Green, Matovu Hadija Naluyinda |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Girlhood Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1938-8209 • E-ISSN: 1938-8322 |
| Publisher | Berghahn Books (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.3167/ghs.2025.180203 |
| OpenAlex | W4412599547 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
In Uganda, COVID-19 fueled a surge in teenage pregnancies and motherhood, a phenomenon widely described as the shadow pandemic. Prolonged school closures (2020 to 2021) intensified gender-based adultification—the premature burdening of girls with adult responsibilities. Deep-seated cultural perceptions of adolescent girls as mature women heightened their risk of exploitation, early pregnancy, and forced motherhood. Drawing on a Feminist Participatory Action Research project that engaged adolescent mothers to understand the support they need to rebuild their lives after the pandemic, we examine how adultification shaped their pathways to pregnancy and motherhood, consequently reinforcing cycles of gendered oppression and systemic neglect. By centering Ugandan girls’ experiences, we expand on the adultification discourse, stressing the need for institutional reforms and community support to protect their childhood
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Pandemic · Political science · Psychoanalysis · Shadow (psychology · Sociology · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction · Gender Studies · Medicine · Psychology · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
Refusing the Limits of Contemporary Childhood
Girlhood Interrupted
Mammy, Sapphire, and Jezebel
Navigating Education in the Context of Covid-19 Lockdowns and School Closures
The Adultification of Black Girls as Identity-Prejudicial Credibility Excess
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice at 24
Childhood Adultification in Economically Disadvantaged Families
Consequences of school closures due to Covid-19 in DRC, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda
Epistemic Adultification
Crossed the line
Qualitative inquiry and research design
Learning from feminist participatory action research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |