Motherhood in Childhood

esponsibilities of breadwinner and head of the
household are inculcated into boys and men; fulfilling
these behaviours and roles are dominant
ways to affirm one’s manhood.
Gender norms as a rule establish and reinforce
women’s subordination to men and drive
poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes
for both men and women. Women are often
prevented from learning about their rights and
from obtaining the resources that could help
them plan their lives and families, sustain their
advancement in school, and support their participation
in the formal economy (Greene and
Levack, 2010). Men are often not offered most
sources of sexual and reproductive health information
and services and may develop the sense
that planning families is not their domain, but
rather is women’s responsibility.
In the context of sexual and reproductive
health and reproductive rights, there is growing
recognition among the international community
that addressing gender inequities in health,
promoting sexual and reproductive health and
reproductive rights, and preventing HIV and
gender-based violence at all levels in society
is not possible without efforts to directly
engage men and boys as partners in these
processes (International Planned Parenthood
Federation, 2010).
EXCERPTS FROM THE ICPD PROGRAMME OF
ACTION ON GENDER EQUALITY
The objectives are to achieve equality and equity based on harmonious
partnership between men and women and enable women to realize their
full potential; to ensure the enhancement of women’s contributions to
sustainable development through their full involvement in policy- and
decision-making processes at all stages…; to ensure that all women, as
well as men, are provided with the education necessary for them to meet
their basic human needs and to exercise their human rights.
Countries should act to empower women and should take steps to
eliminate inequalities between men and women as soon as possible
by establishing mechanisms for women’s equal participation and equitable
representation at all levels of the political process and public life;
promoting the fulfilment of women’s potential through education, skill
development and employment, giving paramount importance to the
elimination of poverty, illiteracy and ill health among women; eliminating
all practices that discriminate against women; assisting women to establish
and realize their rights, including those that relate to reproductive and
sexual health… (Programme of Action, paragraphs 4.1–4.4)
especially whether the mother and father married
as children or whether the mother became
pregnant as an adolescent. Other family-level
determinants include the education level of
adults and their expectations for their children,
the level of communication within the household,
the intensity of cultural and religious
values, and the views of family decision makers
on gender roles and child marriage.
Family-level determinants
Unless a girl lives in a child-headed household
or is homeless, she is going to be influenced by
her family or guardian. Family-level determinants
include the stability and cohesiveness of
the family; the degree to which there is conflict
or violence in the home; the extent of household
poverty or wealth; the presence of role
models; and the reproductive history of parents,
Child marriage
The prevalence of child marriage depends in part
on national policies and laws and their enforcement,
on community-level norms and on the
extent of poverty in a country, but it is at the
level of the family where decisions are made
about forcing a child into a marriage or union.
By definition, child marriage occurs when at
least one of the partners is under age 18. Every
THE STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2013
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