58 Health Concerns of Girls
Decisions for a better future
There are important decisions that you can make with your
family to create new possibilities for your future.
Education and training. Education can help you feel proud of
yourself, earn a better living, and live a
happier and healthier life. For many
girls, education opens the door to
a better future. Even if you cannot
go to school, there are other ways
to learn to read and develop skills.
For example you can study
at home, join a literacy
program, or learn a trade
from a skilled person
(apprenticeship). When
you have new skills, you
have something special
to give to your community,
and you can better support yourself and your family.
Learning new skills can help you have more choices in your life.
Waiting to get married. Talk with your family about waiting
to get married until you feel ready and until you find the right
partner. Many girls are able to finish school and find work
before starting families. This can help you learn more about
yourself and what you want. If you wait, you may even find a
partner who feels the same way about life as you do.
Waiting to have children. It is
easier to raise a happy and healthy
child when you wait until you and
your partner feel ready to start
a family. If you are thinking
about having a baby, these
are some things to think about:
Will you be able to continue your
education? How will you fulfill the child’s physical needs—food,
clothes, shelter, etc? Are you ready to provide the emotional
support a baby needs to grow up into a healthy child? Will your
partner commit himself to helping with child raising? How will
your family help you?
Parents and girls can work together to organize ways for girls to learn about how
the body works, sexuality and prevention of early pregnancy. This can be done at
home, and programs can be held in schools, community meeting places, or places
of worship.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012