Zambia’s school re-entry policy for adolescent mothers: Examining impacts beyond re-enrollment

Abstract The persistently high rate of adolescent pregnancy, particularly among poor girls and in rural areas, is one of the reasons that universal secondary school completion remains elusive in Zambia. We used a mixed methods approach to explore how Zambia’s re-entry policy is related to young mothers’ outcomes beyond re-enrollment in school. We found that girls with knowledge of the policy were less likely to be forced out of school while pregnant and perceived less stigma after delivery. The policy also had the potential to enlist support for girls’ continuation in school, though its implementation often fell short of its potential.