Motherhood in Childhood

Parents
Parents play central roles, both directly and
indirectly in determining the future of their adolescent
daughters. As role models, parents have
the power to reinforce and perpetuate gender
inequality or instil beliefs that boys and girls
should enjoy the same rights and opportunities
in life. They may impart information about sexuality
and prevention of pregnancy or they may
withhold vital information. They may place a
value on education for both their daughters and
sons, or they may socialize girls to believe that
their only destiny is marriage and having children.
They may help develop girls’ life skills and
encourage them to be autonomous, or they may
succumb to economic and community pressures
and force their girls into marriage and a lifetime
of dependency.
Individual-level determinants
Adolescence is a critical developmental transition
between childhood and young adulthood, a period
in which important individual, behavioural
and health trajectories are established—and a
period in which problematic or harmful patterns
can also be prevented or ameliorated, and positive
patterns enhanced.
A pivotal moment in adolescence is puberty.
On average, girls enter puberty 18 to 24 months
before boys, whose physical development is slower
and can continue through late adolescence.
For girls, many of the developmental changes
associated with adult reproductive capabilities are
often complete before intellectual and decisionmaking
capacities fully mature. Puberty is a time
when specific gender roles and expectations are
reinforced.
Girls attend
class in rural
Rajasthan, India.
© Mark Tuschman/
Educate Girls India
t
50 CHAPTER 3: PRESSURES FROM MANY DIRECTIONS