Little women

Miss Universe 1994 final question, “what for you is the essence of being a woman?”
Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe 1994, “Just being a woman is a gift of God that all of us must
appreciate. The origin of a child is a mother, who is a woman. She shows a man what caring,
sharing, and loving is all about. That’s the essence of being a woman."

The origin of a child is a mother, who is a woman – a woman.

Technically, a woman is an adult female associated with mature roles in the society and is
capable of bearing a child but the latter is no longer true – teenage pregnancy. The early
pregnancy is a long standing concern among young females, worse, among students.

In the olden days

Before the Spaniards came, women are only seen inside homes doing chores and other homely
activities. Never will a man just stepped in the backyard without asking any members of the
family. More so when we were colonized by the Spaniards and introduced with Christianity.
With the widespread of Roman Catholicism in the country, women made a pivotal turn in terms
of actions. Like before, some women became focused of stay – at – home human beings and
religious advocates.

In the Philippines, partnerships and courtship are considered conservative. Before he will win her
heart, the man must court her and demonstrate his love for her. The courting phase could
occasionally go on for years. But this is a really antiquated concept. This traditional notion of
courtship is less prevalent in larger, more urbanized places. To give their daughter a chance to
get to know the man, parents desire that their daughter be courted in their home. The man would
put his best foot forward to make a good impression on the woman and her family throughout the
wooing phase. Generally speaking, the male is evaluated based on his capacity to be a
gentleman, his respect for the woman's family.

She shows a man what caring, sharing, and loving is all about
Liberation is something to think about when it comes of early pregnancy. The idea and enjoying
the perks of liberation gave young women and men the ability to explore, never thinking the
consequences and the burden it may bring.

When entering into a relationship, fidelity is a must. Aside this, both individuals are expected to
care, share and love each other. Both must ensure the relationship is secured and it sails
smoothly, but there are times that one must prove that really exist and most of the times, women
are the sacrificial lamb.

Young people who become pregnant at such an early age suffer from negative effects on their
health and money. Additionally, it was stated that carrying a child to such an early age is
unhealthy for teenagers, as their bodies are not prepared to bear a child, and that it might even
result in the death of neonates and babies.
Little women
Imagine being announced and gossiped about being pregnant at the age of 13 or 16, what would
you feel? You wake up early in the morning, 5 days a week knowing what to face and how many
fingers will be pointed at you, not to mention all the shaming and talking behind your back that
you have to endure every single minute once you stepped out of the house.

Teenage pregnancy is when a girl under 20 gets pregnant. Is usually refers to teens between the
ages of 15 – 19. But it can include girls as young as 10.

According to the 2020 report of Commission on Population and Development, there were 56,428
cases of live births among girls aged 10 to 17, and 51 live births among girls aged 10 to 12. The
figures don’t give us any better. Imagine the damage and the burden.

Melyn (not her true name) went to Manila to work while the school break is in effect just earn
money for the opening of classes. After working she came home and before she know it, she got
pregnant to a boy who did not finish secondary education, she was 17. In order to escape from
shame and being judged, her parents made an arrangement with the boy and the she continued
her Grade 11 but with uncertainties. She still manage to attend classes and informed her adviser
not to disclose her situation but then again, as she goes to school with a baby in her tummy, she
is still uncertain her classmate might find out. Imagine the emotional endurance that she has to
take just to protect herself

“Everytime I saw students walking and going to school, Sir, I have nothing but envy”, she said.
“ Napalaking pagkakamali”

She never finished her Grade 12 but she promised to come back and finish her secondary
education.

Another story, Cessy,(not her true name) is an intelligent student. She is active in her classes and
very participative and a good speaker. No one ever think that while in Grade 11, at the age of 17,
a baby is beating in her tummy. When asked what happened, “Its so fast”, she said. She came
form a broken family and she stays at her grandparents house, to make it worse, the boy who
impregnated her is very open to visit and sleep over, the same with her. She is very open to stay
and sleep at the boy’s house. When this is the scenario, temptation is so strong, no one will say
“no” or “not yet”, until its too late.

In parting
Teenage pregnancy is a long -standing issue among teenage girls. It decreases and increases in
years and it is still exists. There have been many measures done especially in schools, sex
education has been included in the curriculum; its pros and con have been discussed thoroughly
but to no avail, so its boils down to the role of family members.
Parents are the number one most influential figure for most children. However, many parents
lack the knowledge to guide their children through this phase. Parents need to equip themselves
with the appropriate parenting skills:

Be an approachable parent, ensure your child is comfortable talking to you, be it to

express feelings, share opinions or just ask questions.

 Establish rules (i.e. dating rules), curfews, and standards of expected behavior,
preferably through an open process of family discussion and respectful communication.
 Explain the values, be it cultural or religious, that you have towards teenage
pregnancy. It’s important to give your teen freedom, but similarly important is to ensure
they know not to overstep their boundaries.
 Strive for a relationship with your teen that is affectionate, firm in discipline, and rich in
communication and one that emphasizes mutual trust and respect.
 Help them plan for the future. The chances that your son or daughter will go on with
sex, pregnancy, and parenthood are significantly reduced if they have a professional
ambition they’d wish to pursue.

The origin of a child is a mother, who is a woman – not a girl.