- Overwhelming majorities of Basotho say women should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to get married (86%) as well as when to have children and how many children to have (78%).
- Women are more likely than men to assert women’s autonomy in choices about marriage (89% vs. 83%) and childbearing (86% vs. 69%).
- Nearly nine in 10 citizens (88%) “agree” (16%) or “strongly agree” (72%) that pupils who get pregnant or become mothers should be allowed to continue their schooling.
- The same proportion (88%) support the inclusion of sexuality education in the school curriculum.
- Roughly eight in 10 respondents say contraceptives should be made available for everyone who is sexually active regardless of marital status (81%) and age (77%).
- More than one-third (36%) of Basotho say women and girls in their communities “occasionally” (7%) or “often” (29%) terminate their pregnancies.
- Nearly half of Basotho say a woman is “sometimes” or “always” justified in terminating a pregnancy if it threatens her life or health (47%) or if it is a product of rape or incest (47%).
- Far fewer see abortion as justifiable in cases where a woman cannot afford to care for a child (25%) or does not want the pregnancy for any reason (20%).
Globally, teenage pregnancies are on the decline, but the overall trend obscures significant regional variation. For example, in 2021 more than 100 births were recorded per 1,000 adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa – twice the global average (Maharaj, 2022). In Lesotho, 17% of women aged 15-19 have had at least one pregnancy (Ministry of Health, 2024). In Qacha’s Nek, one-third of all pregnancies (162 of 486) between January and June 2025 occurred among 13- to 19-year-olds, a significant rise from the same period in 2024 (Lesotho News Agency, 2025).
Adolescent pregnancies are often the result of inadequate knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. Individuals who engage in, or are subjected to, risky sexual behaviours such as early sexual debut, unprotected sex, and multiple sexual partners are at heightened risk of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), unintended pregnancy, and unsafe abortion (Phoobane, 2022).
Lack of knowledge represents a clear risk factor for becoming infected. In a 2016-2017 survey, only 30.7% of adolescent girls and young women displayed comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention (Ministry of Health, 2019). This is especially concerning in Lesotho, which has the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world (22.7%) after Eswatini, and where prevalence is even higher among women (27.4%) (Ministry of Health, 2022).
In Lesotho, sexuality education is compulsory for all secondary-school students. The National Curriculum Development Centre (2019) defines the subject of life-skills-based sexuality education as “age-appropriate, culturally relevant teaching that provides scientifically accurate information and equips young people with the knowledge and skills to make responsible choices in their lives.”
Lesotho’s 2011 health policy states that women and youth should receive access to safe, effective, affordable, and acceptable reproductive health services, including family planning services (Khaile, 2024). Yet among sexually active unmarried women, 18% have an unmet need for family planning, while 13% of sexually active married women want to space out or limit the number of births but are not using contraception (Ministry of Health, 2024).
A special question module in Afrobarometer’s Round 10 survey (2024) explores the opinions and experiences of Basotho related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Findings show that Basotho overwhelmingly support the inclusion of sexuality education in school curricula, ongoing education for girls who become pregnant or give birth, and access to contraception regardless of age and marital status.
Nearly eight in 10 citizens say women should be able to decide for themselves when and how many children to have, while an even larger share say girls and women should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to get married.
Nearly half of Basotho say it is at least “sometimes justified” for a woman to terminate a pregnancy if her life or health is at risk or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Far smaller shares say abortion can be justified in the event of economic hardship or if the woman does not want to keep the pregnancy for any reason.
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