Guatemala is one of the world leaders in teenage pregnancy rates. And the main cause of this situation is the increasing rate of rape and sexual abuse of children.
In Guatemala, many girls have to become mothers when they are underage and at a very young age. In 2011, there were more than 35 young mothers who just turned 10 years old. Worse still, the "author" of nearly 90% of teen pregnancies is the child's relative or biological father.
Until early 2015, teen pregnancy was becoming a "normal" phenomenon when the legal marriage age in the country was only 14. However, in order to deal with this situation, it was the government's government. The government of Guatemala has raised the legal age of marriage to 18. However, according to statistics in 2014, there were still more than 5,000 cases of children under the age of 14 becoming pregnant and giving birth - while there were just over 10 cases. convicted by the law.
Gloria got pregnant at the age of 13 with a 22-year-old DJ.
According to Mirna Montenegro, director of Guatemala's Sexual and Reproductive Health Supervision Agency, one of the main reasons for this is the way of life that treats women as the personal property of men in this country. Many fathers even calmly "rationalize" the rape of their daughters by claiming that children are the parents' talents, so they can "do whatever they want". That inhuman mindset is so deeply ingrained in people's minds in Guatemala that only 1 in 10 rape reports go to court and the perpetrators are dealt with "appropriately". However, the sentence that perverts must receive is also very low, usually only a few months in prison.
Besides, teenage pregnancy has become a normal phenomenon in the Guatemalan mindset and it is difficult to change this mindset overnight. Although the Guatemalan government has made many efforts to combat teenage pregnancy, there have been no significant results. For example, when the Guatemalan government required the hospital to report to the police if a minor gave birth, the families began to hide it and let the children give birth at home to avoid the perpetrators. arrested.
Lilian was raped by her uncle when she was 9 years old and gave birth to a child when she was 11 years old. My uncle only had to be fined, not jailed.
It can be said that teenage pregnancy has had a great impact on the future of children in Guatemala. Because at that time, many children's bodies were not fully developed, so they were not suitable for pregnancy and childbirth. Many children are too young to realize that they are carrying another life in the body, leading to fetal malnutrition and premature birth. Therefore, children born to "baby mothers" are often sick and often sick.
In addition, because many children suffer from psychological shock because of rape, poor children are often neglected when they are born and do not receive any attention from their mothers. Of course, young mothers, because of pregnancy and childbirth too early, have to stop their education, leaving their children's future stuck in poverty and illiteracy.
Heidy became pregnant at the age of 12 and had to end her education.
Michelle gave birth at the age of 13 after being tied to a tree and raped by a 53-year-old man. She is now pregnant for the second time after her mother sold her to a man in exchange for a bed.
Many children are born abandoned by their mothers.
Jennifer gave birth at the age of 12 after being raped by a criminal. My family did not dare to report due to fear of reprisal.
Images of little girls taking care of their children and playing with friends have become commonplace in Guatemala.
Babies born to "baby mothers" are often underweight and prone to diseases.
