UN Radio Series on 15-year-old Girls Wins Medal

Being a 15-year-old girl can be difficult no matter where you live. But in many parts of the world, the difficulties are compounded by poverty, coerced sex, HIV or early pregnancy. The UN Radio series “15,” which won a Bronze medal for best documentary in the category of social issues at the New York Festivals International Radio competition this month, captures the resilience of adolescent girls from around the world in the face of difficult situations.

The series, which was supported by UNFPA, amplifies the voices of teenage girls from three regions (Africa, Latin America and Europe), at this tender stage of life when decisions about education, health and sexual relationships can have profound consequences.

UN Radio travelled to Algeria, Brazil, China, Ecuador, the Republic of Moldova, Peru, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia to interview girls, who offer poignant and often heart-wrenching stories of adolescence. Many of them were victims of violence whose childhoods were abruptly cut short. From South Africa, Rebecca talks about becoming pregnant before she even understood the facts of life. In Brazil, Janaina and Daniella describe what it’s like growing up with HIV.
In the past 15 years, UNFPA , sister agencies and partners, have established special programmes, clinics and counselling aimed at helping this young generation. These girls told UN Radio of their dreams.

They want to be teachers, social workers and doctors. As Thandazile from South Africa says, “I am not one of those girls who thinks small. I like to think high – my mother taught me that.”