“He Run Away”: Social Maturity and Young Refugee Motherhood in Uganda

Uganda was hosting 1,741,331 refugees and asylum seekers as of April 2025, with youth (15 to 24) comprising 25 percent and those under 18 years accounting for 55 percent according to local sources. Refugee youth have remained vulnerable to negative health outcomes because of limited service provision, and the effects of gender norms and contextual challenges. Adolescents and young women who become mothers face challenges including social stigma, psychological stress, and mental ill-health, and especially the unmarried young mothers who single-handedly struggle to balance their responsibilities. The contextual social norms, values, and practices shape the perceptions and experiences of young refugee mothers and affect their choices and decisions although they do use their agency to navigate the various structural challenges in refugee settings.