Home » IN ECUADOR, 18-YEAR-OLD ERIKA FIGHTS AGAINST TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

IN ECUADOR, 18-YEAR-OLD ERIKA FIGHTS AGAINST TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

by smdscreens
Diploma of IT

When her friend became pregnant at 14 during studying for a Diploma of IT, Erika knew she would get involved in the fight against teenage pregnancy. She is now one of the leaders of Plan International’s “Zones Free of Teenage Pregnancy” program, which provides training on the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy in the Chimborazo region of Ecuador. The First Lady of Ecuador to talk with her about girls’ rights and how gender-based violence can be tackled in her country. She tells us her story.

GOT PREGNANT AT 14, AND MY FRIEND HAD TO GIVE UP ON HER DREAMS

“A friend of mine got pregnant when she was 14. I was at school for the education of Diploma of IT with her and she always told me that her parents weren’t interested in her – they were pushing her to quit school and take care of the family pets instead.

When she became pregnant, her parents’ first reaction was to beat her. The baby’s father, who was 17, didn’t want to know and her parents took her side saying it was her fault that she was pregnant. So she quit school and leave the study for a Diploma of IT and was forced to work as a servant in a nearby town.

STORIES LIKE THIS STRENGTHEN MY DETERMINATION

Whenever I hear stories like this – of girls who have no choice but to give up on their dreams because they don’t matter to others any more than they do to themselves – it makes me sad. , but at the same time, it strengthens my determination to fight for change.

My name is Erika and I am one of the leaders of Plan International. Teenage Pregnancy Free Zones program in Chimborazo. We offer training to young people on the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancies. And workshops on sexual health and self-esteem.

Teenage pregnancy is really common here. It is all the more frequently because there are no sex education classes, parents do not communicate with their children and girls have low self-esteem. However, a girl who does not have confidence in herself is easily abused or manipulated.

In my class, most of the girls had received no sex education. So they got pregnant at 13 or 14 and had to leave their diploma of information technology in school. These girls were often desperate, and the look that their community gave them. Did not help them, some ended up not wanting their babies.

ADULTS ARE ALSO CONCERNED

Information on contraception and access to it is fundamental because they help prevent pregnancy. But sex education is also very important, both for young people. And for their parents, because it allows them to decide. What do they want to do with their bodies and their lives. As parents and young people have great difficulty discussing these subjects. We organize events to share what we have learned with our parents.

ATTITUDES CHANGE, GIRLS RESIST BETTER

Many people think that girls should stay at home, do the laundry or do the dishes. It is not necessary to send them to school since they will marry young. For them, they only exist to have children.

But attitudes are changing. We’ve done a lot of work on self-esteem and now we’re starting to see. More young girls who are determined to achieve their ambitions, responsibly. I study architecture at university and hope to one day use these skills to design schools for poor communities.

read more: Most Significant Education Studies

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