Guatemala Praised for Policies on Adolescent Girls

By Josh ButlerUNITED NATIONS, Mar 10 2015 (IPS)The government of Guatemala has been praised for a programme helping young women avoid unwanted pregnancies and finish their education.On the opening day of the Commission on the Status of Women at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Guatemala was held up as an example of how governments can develop frameworks to protect and promote the rights of young women.Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, praised Guatemalan Vice President Roxana Baldetti for her government’s ‘PLANEA’ initiative, providing sexual education to adolescents.“Young people can break away from the cycle of poverty and create a sustainable future, but first we have to invest in their health, sexual and reproductive health, education, and empower them going forward,” Osotimehin said.“By helping girls stay in school, we prevent pregnancy, and give them greater autonomy and agency. This can be shared as good practice in Latin America and around the world.”The ‘Abriendo Opportunidades’ (‘Opening Opportunities’) programme has reached over 6,000 girls. Around 97 percent of Abriendo girl leaders remained childless during the programme, compared with a national average of 78 percent. All participants completed sixth grade of schooling, compared with a national average of 82 percent.UNFPA said child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are common among girls, especially indigenous Guatemalan girl...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Latin America & the Caribbean Newsbrief TerraViva United Nations Women's Health Child Rape Guatemala United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Source Type: news