Around 140 underage girls and young women become mothers in Montenegro every year. While in some cases the pregnancy occurs within the framework of partnerships between peers, in others it is about arranged marriages and fulfilling the “marital obligation”. What most often connects them is that their childhood has been interrupted, and the possibilities to complete primary or secondary education are drastically narrowed.
This is shown by research conducted by "Vijesti" based on data collected from state hospitals with maternity wards and the Institute of Public Health.
The newspaper's interlocutor, an activist, said that life becomes especially difficult when "a child has a child." Fana Delia.
According to the latest data from the Institute of Public Health, provided by health institutions for 2024, out of a total of 6.707 babies born, 146 were born to mothers aged 15 to 19.
During 2023, out of a total of 6.800 births, mothers under the age of 19 were recorded in 140 cases.
Birth registrations are submitted by public health institutions that perform gynecology and obstetrics (general hospitals and the Clinical Center), health centers that have a hospital with a maternity ward (Mojkovac, Plav, Rožaje), as well as private health institutions that perform this activity.
Of the total number of reported births in 2024, 196 were from private health facilities, with five newborns born to mothers aged 16 to 19.
Institutions: Sporadic teenage births
Last year, six minors gave birth at the Nikšić General Hospital, and no such births were recorded until the end of March.
The institution told "Vijesti" that if a woman in labor does not want to keep the baby after giving birth, the institution informs the Social Work Center of the municipalities of Nikšić, Plužine and Šavnik. This, they say, is also the practice for adult mothers.
In Nikšić, two abortions were performed in 2024 with the consent and signature of one parent.
The Bijelo Polje General Hospital also had six minor births in the previous 15 months.
When asked by the editorial staff whether the institution has special protocols regarding underage pregnancies and births, they point out that "when getting married, underage girls receive consent from the court that they are capable of marriage and in that case there is no special protocol." In the case when they are not married, they point out, a parent or guardian signs the consent.
The Clinical Hospital Center (KBC) in Kotor told "Vijesti" that during 2025 and three months of this year, an underage girl gave birth in their institution, and that in such cases, as required by law, they notify the Center for Social Work.
During the same period, two minors gave birth at the hospital in Pljevlja. The institution says that "all types of health services provided to minors require the consent of a parent/guardian," and that these services are provided in the presence of a parent or guardian whenever possible.
The Berane Clinical Hospital responded that in the past 15 months, five underage girls have given birth at that institution.
They explain that these are usually regularly controlled pregnancies, so underage pregnant women are treated the same as others, older than them, but with increased attention and empathy.
"Parental consent is not required for childbirth, but in the event that such patients and their partners wish to terminate the pregnancy, the consent of one or both parents is required for this type of procedure. Patients who gave birth in our institution were monitored in public health institutions. We still have sporadic cases of teenage pregnancies and we do not observe an increasing trend," said the Berane Clinical Hospital Center.
During the last three months of this year, there were no terminations of pregnancy among minor girls in Bijelo Polje, and the same is the case in the Kotor and Berane Clinical Hospitals and hospitals in Pljevlja.
Hospitals in Cetinje and Bar and the Clinical Center of Montenegro did not respond to the editorial team's questions about the numbers and conditions when it comes to giving birth to minors.
Too young for "marital duties"
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warns that child marriage is a human rights violation that affects about one in five girls worldwide, who are married before the age of 18. The practice causes school dropout, increased risk of violence and health complications.
"Child brides often become pregnant during adolescence, when the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth increases. This practice can also isolate girls from family and friends, which seriously affects their mental health," UNICEF said.
Fana Delija, director of the Center for Roma Initiatives, has been fighting the problem of child arranged marriages in Montenegro since 2011. She told "Vijesti" that reality shows that pregnancy is imposed on much younger girls than statistics show, but they are often unable to become pregnant due to their age.
She also says that in cases of arranged marriage, it is usually not an unwanted pregnancy, because returning to this "negative custom", as she calls it, therefore requires the "bride" (bride) to also be a mother.
"She is already his bride, even though she is a girl. The next step is for her to get pregnant and give birth to a child," said Delija, adding that the confessions of the girls she worked with also show that "the community blames them when they are not physically able to get pregnant, because they are still children themselves."
Because of this, as she recounted, it happened that these girls were "returned to their parents", and their further life path showed that they were too young for that "marital obligation", because they had a child at a later age.
Delija also referred to a case from Nikšić from a few years ago, which she particularly remembers - the girl was in the ninth grade of elementary school, pregnant, with attempts to hide it from the public and her organization, because it would have been clear that it was an arranged child marriage.
"She was young overnight, and during the day she attended classes regularly, until her stomach was visible. No one did anything, even though we reported the suspicion that a child arranged marriage had taken place. It went unpunished," the interviewee emphasized.
She also worked with other alarming and unacceptable situations - an 11-year-old girl stayed with a 26-year-old man for four months, performing, as Delija says, all the "obligations" of an adult woman.
He assesses that in these cases, rarely anything is done and questions the reaction of the environment, asking the question that if a child is pregnant at the age of 14 or 15, isn't that against all legal norms?
"It is considered a custom and tradition, and no one goes into depth to see that it is a violation of children's rights. Then the entire procedure for determining responsibility in the case of child neglect should be initiated," Delija emphasizes in an interview with "Vijesti".
The first line is the school, she emphasizes, because teachers have the most contact with children, so they should recognize that there is a problem, especially when it comes to sensitive categories of girls or teenagers. It is unacceptable, she says, that they remain without help and support, which, she adds, is often the case.
When it comes to the Roma and Egyptian communities, Delija is convinced that there is no possibility for girls to continue their education, both primary and secondary.
"The mere fact that a child is in an arranged marriage automatically means that she will be denied the right to education. I have not had the experience, and I have been dealing with this problem since 2011, of a girl who entered into an arranged marriage being able to continue her education," said the interviewee.
On the other hand, according to her, everyone will blame the child for what happened, and there is no adequate support or understanding at all about what the consequences could be if the child continues the pregnancy.
According to Delija, women who have gone through this have been left with lasting trauma, as shown by the confessions of the victims she works with, and she emphasizes that these stories are "sad and moving."
Only some of the negative experiences have occurred with doctors, she points out. Some, Delija claims, advise girls to keep the fetus and scare them that complications will arise later if they want to become mothers.
Asked to comment on the allegations of one of the hospitals that a minor, if married, stated in court that she was ready for it, Delija replied that she "cannot be capable of marriage, especially if it is a girl under 16, because that is not permitted by law."
In Montenegro, marriage is possible upon reaching the age of 18 (majority). Minors over the age of 16 may marry with the permission of the competent court, according to the Family Law of Montenegro.
Prevention and education about sexual and reproductive health, Delija believes, is still a taboo topic, and adults avoid letting their children listen to such lectures. She says that the seriousness of this must be understood, because when unwanted consequences occur, no one knows how to deal with it.
Public Health Agency: The key is prevention
The Institute of Public Health (IJZ) told "Vijesti" that, bearing in mind that their mission is to improve and preserve the health of the population, they view activities in the field of youth reproductive health through the prism of prevention, education, access to health services and multisectoral cooperation, with the aim of providing as efficient and accessible support to young people as possible.
In accordance with national strategic documents, the importance of continuous education of young people on sexual and reproductive health is emphasized, including information on contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and responsible behavior.
Of particular importance are regular preventive examinations and organized screening programs, especially for the early detection of cervical cancer, as well as the implementation of HPV vaccination, which is available in Montenegro for girls and boys of certain age groups.
"When it comes to teenage pregnancies, it is necessary to strengthen the system that provides timely healthcare, psychological support and social services, while simultaneously reducing stigma and discrimination," they stated.
The development and improvement of counseling services for young people within health centers, say the IJZ, is very important. It is also important to strengthen preventive programs that provide confidential information and counseling on sexual and reproductive health, including education on the proper use and availability of contraception.
They also emphasize that it is important to develop health education programs through education, among other things, to enable young people to acquire knowledge and skills for responsible decision-making, with continuous implementation and strengthening of cooperation between the education and health sectors, so that these programs are sustainable, efficient and have continuity in their implementation.
Exams and part-time education
When asked by "Vijesti" what the practice is in Montenegrin schools when girls have to be absent from classes due to pregnancy and childbirth, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) said that in the Montenegrin education system, every educational institution has a rulebook that determines the manner in which parents will fulfill the legal obligation to justify their children's absences.
"The issue of female students' absence from classes due to pregnancy and childbirth in the Montenegrin education system is treated within the framework of current regulations regulating justified absence for health reasons," said the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, headed by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović.
In cases of prolonged absence, educational institutions enable the continuation of education through taking class or subject exams, as well as transitioning to part-time education, in accordance with the law, the Ministry of Education and Science says, adding that this government department views this topic within the framework of a broader policy of inclusive and accessible education for all students, with a special focus on preventing early school leaving and protecting students' rights.
"In this context, schools are provided with guidelines for dealing with sensitive situations, in cooperation with the competent institutions in the field of social and health care. We note that psychological support in educational institutions is available to all students, and professional services in schools play a key role in helping students cope with social, emotional or family problems that often lead to dropping out of school," they told the editorial board.
Education against child marriage
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is considered to be any human being under the age of 18. This document, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989, was ratified by Montenegro in 2006.
The Convention guarantees comprehensive protection of the rights of every child, including the right to life, survival and development, the right to have his or her views heard in all actions and proceedings affecting him or her, the right of the child to have his or her best interests respected...
Child marriage is a serious violation of children's rights. It is a serious problem that disproportionately affects girls from the Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro.
According to the 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by MONSTAT and UNICEF, more than a third of Roma and Egyptian girls aged 15 to 19 are already married or living with a partner. Research credibly shows that education is one of the most powerful tools for preventing child marriage.
Last year, UNICEF again called on educators and communities to take stronger action to end child marriage and ensure quality education for all girls. The same data shows that 59 percent of Roma and Egyptian girls with little or no formal education are married before the age of 18. However, among those who complete secondary school, that number drops to 25 percent.
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