In Mexico, every day of 2017, two babies were born to mothers aged 10 and 11. That same year, Mexico had the highest teen pregnancy rate among the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Growth Co-operation and Development. Los Cabos has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Mexico. This project will provide no-cost family planning education and support to impoverished women of Los Cabos.
Several gender related problems permeate throughout the barrios of Los Cabos. Rampant sexual abuse targets girls and young women who are unaware and helpless. Culture norms make teen pregnancy acceptable and often expected. Young women want to escape poverty or a violent home and see pregnancy as a way to engage a male partner to be their savior. These tendencies have significantly increased during the COVID lockdowns. Teen pregnancy perpetuates lack of education, poor health, low income.
This project will teach girls and young women what sexual abuse is. It will expose culture norms for what they are: unacceptable. It will show that getting pregnant too young, too old, or too often can have deadly results - for the mother and the newborn. It will instill a sense of self-worth and teach they have value. It will expose them to a better path forward - there is a better way. It will introduce them to government agencies that can support their needs and provide assistance.
The objective is to provide education and tools to prevent teen pregnancy. The project will reach up to 700 women from the most impoverished areas of Los Cabos, potentially saving hundreds of teens from the life-long effects of early pregnancy. When they are able to space their pregnancies and plan them around their goals, they are better positioned to finish their education, earn an income and set their children down a path toward healthy, productive lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
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