COMMENT | Convincing society to believe that getting pregnant out of wedlock is a fault of women (and girls) is just one more in a long line of misogyny constructs meant to hinder progress in women's rights and gender equality.

There is a serious need to recognise, acknowledge and derive transformational solutions to gender-based violence against women that begins from the time she is conceived and follows her throughout her childhood and into adulthood.

When a baby girl is born, many parts of our society already consider her lesser in human value compared to baby boys. Expectations towards her are measured and the world already decides what needs to be done to make her a suitable bride.

As she grows, many girls...