“This is the third post in our ‘Teen Voices’ series on GTHQ. We partnered with a non-profit organization called Women In Leadership (WIL), based out of Uganda, to help promote one of their initiatives. In the Teen Voices Program, they encourage high school girls in the rural town of Busembatia to write article about their lives, and the challenges they face as females in a largely patriarchal society. These stories are then published online, reaching an international audience.
“WIL also shows the girls how to use social media to share news and advocate for change. Through teaching the girls about gender equality, and helping them write articles to raise awareness, they gain the knowledge and the confidence of how they can improve gender equality through their own leadership. We will be publishing a series of short articles written by girls in the program, touching on topics such as education, reproductive rights, health, and gender-related stigma they are actively trying to break down.
“You can read the second entry in the series here, and read the latest entry, written by Tulibasika Rebecca, below, which begins:
“In my country, it is common for girls to take local medicines or insert sharp objects into themselves to end their pregnancy. Many girls get sick or die after these attempted abortions.
My sister, Naira, was 19 years old, and in Senior Three at Townside High School, when she got pregnant. She had come back to the village to visit, and had become pregnant. She told me about the man who impregnated her. His name was Mugole Alli and he was 39 years old. He had a wife and two children. Naira decided to have an abortion…”
SOURCE: Girl Talk HQ, 23 June 2017