Social problems in Mexico

Xinhua News Agency, Mexico City, June 1st: Summary: "Teenage mothers" question the difficulties of Mexico's economic and social development

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Tuo

To 14 For Anna, a 20-year-old Mexican girl, her childhood is long gone. When she was less than 13 years old, Anna unexpectedly became pregnant. Her life changed dramatically. Currently, Anna, who is still in junior high school, has to continue her studies while taking care of her child who is less than one year old.

In Mexico, Ana is just a member of the "teen mother" group. Official statistics from Mexico show that in 2014, 374,000 girls aged 10 to 19 became mothers, 6,000 of whom were under 14 years old, and there were even "baby mothers" as young as 10 years old.

Relevant data show that in Mexico, about one-fifth of the babies born each year are born to mothers who are minors. Mexico has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies among members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In such rankings by the Inter-American Development Bank, Mexico also tops the list.

Influenced by Catholicism, Mexican society has low tolerance for abortion. Once an ignorant girl becomes pregnant, she has no choice but to become a mother early. In addition, in the traditional Mexican concept, mother and family are a woman's ultimate destiny, so after teenage girls become pregnant, they often choose to give birth to a child. And many times, the equally immature "other half" lacks the sense of responsibility and the ability to raise children, which leads to the formation of a huge group of single mothers.

Anna is considered one of the lucky ones among "teen mothers". As her family's financial situation was moderate, she was able to continue her studies while raising her children. However, most teenage mothers are not as lucky as Anna.

34-year-old Ala is the mother of two daughters, the eldest daughter is 18 years old. When Ala was 15, her boyfriend got her pregnant, then abandoned her after living together for two years and getting her pregnant again. Ala, who was forced to drop out of school, currently earns a living by cleaning, with a monthly income of only 4,000 pesos (about 1,500 yuan). Life is very difficult.

A report by the international organization Save the Children shows that poverty, low quality of education, inadequate sex education, domestic violence, and the growing environment of single-parent families are the main factors leading to the increase in minor pregnancy. Currently, the problem of pregnancy and childbirth among minors has become a problem that hinders Mexico's economic and social development.

First of all, minor pregnancy is not conducive to the realization of poverty reduction goals. Beggs, an expert from the Inter-American Development Bank, said that pregnant girls often give up their studies and therefore lose opportunities for their own development. The United Nations Population Fund points out that to avoid falling into poverty, Mexicans need at least 11 years of education. However, the reality is that in Mexico, the dropout rate of pregnant girls under the age of 18 is 17.7%, and the dropout rate of pregnant girls under the age of 15 is as high as 30.7%.

Like Ala, many "teenage mothers" choose to give up their studies and rely on working outside to earn meager wages to raise their children. Poverty has become a status quo that they cannot escape. In more extreme cases, those "teenage mothers" who have little ability to work and no family support can only take their children to beg on the streets. In crowded places such as subways and stations, it is not uncommon for "teen mothers" who look very young to beg while carrying babies on their backs.

Carlos, a professor at the Sociology Research Center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said: “Underage pregnancies are more likely to occur in poor areas and families, and those children of underage mothers are likely to The same life trajectory leads to the continuous cycle of poverty.”

Secondly, early pregnancy poses a threat to the health of minors and is not conducive to population development. The World Health Organization considers all pregnancies under 18 years of age to be high-risk because they may result in a baby that is underdeveloped and has physical or intellectual disabilities. Teenage mothers face a high risk of childbirth, as well as the risk of experiencing obstacles to their own growth and development later in life. Data show that in recent years, the number of maternal deaths among minors in Mexico has increased significantly. In 2014, 13.9% of maternal deaths occurred in minors.

The Mexican government has realized the seriousness of the "teenage mother" problem and launched a national adolescent pregnancy prevention plan. Specific measures include expanding the scope of sex education, conducting publicity and education on the adverse consequences of premature pregnancy, and educating future mothers. Provide sexual health and reproductive medical services to adults, prevent and pay attention to sexual violence against minors, etc.

Save the Children recommends that the Mexican government pay more attention to the "teenage mothers" group and strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of minors, such as setting up a special budget to prevent minor pregnancy and ensuring the approval of all civil laws and regulations The earliest age for marriage is 18 and so on.

In response to the problem of "teen mothers", the Mexican government plans to reduce the number of underage mothers aged 10 to 14 to zero by 2030 and reduce the number of underage mothers aged 15 to 19 to 2014. half of the annual amount.

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