Motherhood in Childhood

Everyone has a role to play. The media and
entertainment industries can help through
positive images of adolescent girls and women.
Governments can rededicate themselves to the
elimination of child marriage and gender-based
violence. Parents should be attuned to the
gender-discriminatory messages they transmit
to their children. Opinion leaders, community
leaders, teachers and health care providers should
reinforce the messages that all children are of
equal worth and have rights to health, education,
participation and equal opportunity.
Policymakers must involve girls—and boys—
in the design, implementation, and evaluation
of measures intended to help girls
prevent pregnancy or manage
their lives if they become pregnant.
Speaking with, and listening
to, girls and gaining in-depth
understanding of their needs,
challenges and vulnerabilities are
imperative. According to the 179
governments that endorsed the
ICPD Programme of Action in
1994, actions intended to benefit
adolescents “have proven most
effective when they secure the
full involvement of adolescents in
identifying their reproductive and
sexual health needs and in designing
programmes that respond to
those needs.”
Building a gender-equitable society in which
girls are empowered, educated, healthy and protected
from child marriage, live in dignity and
security and are able to make decisions about
their futures and exercise their rights is essential.
UNFPA strives to uphold every girl’s right to
grow up unencumbered by gender inequality
and discrimination, violence, child marriage
and pregnancy so they may make a safe, healthy
and successful transition from adolescence into
adulthood. Childhood must never be derailed
by motherhood.
“Pregnancy is not like going to a party
and then it’s over… it affects our studies
and brings family conflicts… Before
you even think about having sexual
relationships, you should always think
about the consequences… the future.
It is important to be prepared… and to
know what we want, and then we can
make decisions.”
Valeria, 15, Nicaragua
98 CHAPTER 5: CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD