THE EFFECT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY ON ECUADORIAN WOMEN’S YEARS OF SCHOOLING

Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue with significant consequences, particularly in Latin America, where Ecuador experiences one of the highest rates among South American countries. This study aims to determine the causal effect of teenage pregnancy on the educational attainment of adolescent girls in Ecuador. Using data from the "Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutricion" ENSANUT 2018 and incorporating the Double/Debiased Machine Learning methodology alongside the Instrumental Variables framework, the study finds that teenage mothers have, on average, 4 to 6 less years of schooling compared to non-teenage mothers. This implies that women with teenage pregnancies have a lower educational level than women with non-teenage pregnancies and are therefore more susceptible to social problems such as higher unemployment, lower income, lower life quality, among others. The results offer valuable insights for policymakers, highlighting the need for targeted interventions like flexible education programs, support services, financial assistance, and more to address the educational deficits faced by teenage mothers, thereby improving their quality of life and prospects.