As teenagers, we are often bombarded with endless anti-sex propaganda, or, at the very least, encouraged to use contraceptives when engaging in sexual relations at all times. It seems that we hear “wear a condom!” so often that the words have completely lost their meaning. Rarely, however, are we presented with examples of what could be of our lives were we to become parents during our teenage years..
It is even rarer to see examples of what this looks like for non privileged individuals (privilege, in this case, referring to more than just financial status; race, gender, and family dynamics can all contribute to a young parent’s privilege). According to the World Health Organization, “an estimated 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in developing regions become pregnant and approximately 12 million of them give birth”.
The Brazilian documentary “Meninas”, released in 2006, is nothing short of a ruthless display of the reality of underprivileged girls and boys who are with child in developing countries. It follows the pregnancy journey of four girls: Evelin (13 years old), Luana (15 years old), Edilene (14 years old), and Joice (15 years old). All of them are from the same favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro. In one way or another, we see every single one of the girls, coming from extremely low-income backgrounds, have their lives put on pause by the arrival of a child. It is genuinely scary to witness, because it seems so surreal – it’s one of those documentaries that you spend the entire duration of it on the edge of your seat in the most literal way possible.
Even for those who seem excited to become mothers, like 15 year old Luana, it is impossible to ignore their naivety. As a teenager myself, older than all of the girls, it pains me to see these children birthing children. I know I’m a child, and I know I could never have one right now. And as a woman myself, it pains me to see a very important piece of womanhood being shoved down these girls’ throats before the time is right.
A particular instance that brings me chills to simply think about is a moment captured by the camera crew hours after Luana gave birth to her daughter. “Voltei a brincar de boneca”, or, “I’m back to playing with dolls”. As she says this she squishes her newborn daughter’s cheeks.
Luana did not have a doll in her arms. She had a human being, one she would have to care for until that child reached at least 18 years of age; an age she herself had not gotten to yet. I knew it wouldn’t take long before Luana stopped seeing that baby as a harmless, cute little doll, and I asked myself, what is to happen to the child then? There is nothing left to do other than hope that this will be an isolated instance, a case where things will go right for mother and baby. But, statiscally, we know this is very unlikely.
The fathers, in most cases grown men (the most extreme age gap being between Evelin, 13, and her drug-trafficking boyfriend, 22), are not too far off maturity wise from the young girls whom they’ve impregnated. While older, most of them have adopted a life of crime, and leave the mothers of their children worried sick at home every single day awaiting their arrival.
Take Evelin’s case. After she told her boyfriend of her pregnancy, he promised to leave the drug trafficking faction he was a part of, as per her and her parents’ request. While he left that life of crime, he continued to be a criminal at home. Evelin recounts a moment during her pregnancy where her drunk boyfriend slapped her across the face in front of all his friends, and when she got up, he slapped her once more.
Four months after “Meninas” was done filming, that very same criminal died during an armed conflict with police, leaving the 13 year old girl alone, clueless, and completely terrified with a four month old baby in her arms.
After giving birth, we see one of the girls watching a cartoon for kids. After giving birth, we see another looking absolutely destroyed at her baby’s face. Terrified. After giving birth, we see the dads beginning to fathom that this is a human being they now have to work to feed. After giving birth, we see the parents coming to terms with the fact that everything in their lives prior to that moment will become impossible to cultivate.
Hear their stories, pay attention to them.
While we at Double Click know that abstinence is quite frankly stupid to advocate for, we would like to close this topic’s article with a quote from one of the girls in “Meninas”: “Tá dando mais trabalho do que eu imaginava”. “This is a lot harder than I anticipated”. Think before you do. Break the cycle. No matter your status, gender identity, sexuality, race, position in life; be safe. Do it for you and for your own future.
