World Population Day in Guatemala

Today, on World Population Day, we’re considering the theme, ‘Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations’ from a local perspective.

Guatemala has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Latin America. Half of all girls here have their first child before their 19th birthday, and 1 in 5 have 2 children before they’re 18.
 
There’s no doubt that family planning has a role in empowering people, and especially empowering women. But we think the relationship is cyclical, not linear.
 
Or to put it another way: empowering people is the key to family planning.

Only empowered girls will have the personal agency to make informed choices and avoid teenage pregnancy. Education is essential, but it’s only one factor in the teen pregnancy epidemic here. 

​Though it is important to equip girls with the knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, at SERniña by REALgirl, we firmly believe that what is essential is that girls are guided to develop self-esteem and personal agency, so they have the assertiveness to advocate for themselves, and make informed life choices. 

SERnina workshops are intended to do just this, with modules including Using Your Voice, My Body My Rules, My Amazing Magical Female Body, Developing Healthy Relationship,  and Overcoming Gender Roles. We use effective and innovative methods, from role playing to yoga, to create a generation of girls able to make the family planning decisions they know are right for them.
 
This World Population Day we want to continue to grow our network of support to be able to provide more girls with the opportunity to participate in SERniña by REALgirl Programs.