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Too Pressed To Wait

We Are Red Carding Indifference: The Time for Solutions Is Now


In the face of overwhelming evidence, silence is complicity. Leaders, policymakers, and gatekeepers who sidestep solutions, ignore data, and delay action are not just negligent—they are enabling the loss of young lives. This is why we are raising the red card: to hold them accountable for their inaction in the face of the devastating triple threat—teen pregnancies, HIV infections, and gender-based violence (GBV).

Young people are living on the edge of crises that could be prevented. Every day, girls are dropping out of school, losing opportunities, and being forced into early marriages because leaders have failed to address their needs. The statistics paint a grim picture:

  • 15% of young women in Kenya have been teenage mothers. These are more than just numbers—they represent futures lost and lives burdened. (KDHS 2022)
  • 42% of new HIV infections in Kenya are among adolescents and young people. These are preventable, but stigma and a lack of services persist. (NSDCC 2019)
  • 1 in 3 women in Kenya experiences GBV, a reality that often starts with forced early marriages and relationships rooted in inequality. KDHS 2022)

Yet, we see avoidance. We see leaders debating instead of acting. We see communities blaming girls for circumstances they cannot control. We see systems failing to protect those who are most vulnerable.

A Red Card for Leaders Who Neglect the Data

The data is crystal clear: lack of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and access to contraceptives are driving the triple threat. Still, many leaders shy away from implementing these life-saving interventions, choosing to prioritize political optics over the health and rights of young people.

How many more Hamisas must sacrifice their dreams before the urgency of this crisis is taken seriously? At 16, Hamisa didn’t know what contraceptives were. She wasn’t given a chance to prevent her pregnancy because the information and tools she needed were deliberately withheld. When she turned to her partner for help, the system failed her again, forcing her into poverty, violence, and isolation.

We cannot tolerate leaders who ignore these stories. Each young life lost or forever altered because of their inaction is a direct result of their choices.


The Stakes Are Too High

This isn’t just about missed opportunities—it’s about the lives of real people. Young girls are being forced into:

  • Early marriages as a result of unplanned pregnancies.
  • Lifelong cycles of poverty because they drop out of school to care for their children.
  • Violent and exploitative relationships, with no safety nets to protect them.
  • Increased vulnerability to STIs and HIV, worsening an already urgent public health crisis.

A Call to Action: Raise the Red Card


We are not just red-carding neglect; we are red-carding the systemic failures that allow this crisis to continue. To the leaders who avoid solutions and ignore the data: your inaction is costing lives, and we will not stand for it.

It’s time for:

  1. Leadership that leads: Prioritize CSE and youth-friendly SRHR services without delay.
  2. Policies that protect: Enact and fund programs that address the triple threat comprehensively.
  3. Communities that care: Foster open, stigma-free environments where young people can access the information and tools they need.

The young people of Kenya—and across Africa—are the future, but that future is at risk. They are looking to us for solutions, not excuses.

We Are Too Pressed to Wait

Every delay is another life lost. Every ignored statistic is a step further into crisis. The time for action is now. Raise the red card with us. Demand that leaders, communities, and systems confront the reality of the triple threat and act decisively.

We are fighting for lives, for futures, and for dignity. This is our moment to say enough. Join us. Let’s red card inaction and build a future where every young person has the chance to thrive.