The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation: Sisterhood of second chances

FOR many of us, our high school years are the best years of our lives. We make connections and form relationships that follow us way into our adult years. Some of us transition directly into tertiary institutions and others directly into our dream jobs.

Sadly, that’s not the journey for everyone. In 2013, a State of the World Population Report determined that Jamaica had the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in the region, despite successes in reducing pregnancies in girls who have not yet reached their 18th birthday.

Shernette* was a pregnant teenager. Shernette became pregnant in 1989 at the age of 17 while still a student in high school. Her chances of success were very grim as this meant that she might not be able to complete secondary-level education. She was disappointed that she had failed her mother, hurt that she would have to drop out of school, and terrified at the burden she would now have to bear as a teen mother. Her mother was very disappointed and initially offered very little support. Thankfully, however, her mother introduced her to the Kingston centre of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, an agency of the Office of the Prime Minister.

While there, Shernette received group and peer counselling as well as instructions in the core subject areas. With her mother’s permission, she was given information on the various contraceptive methods available. It was while there that she was able to successfully complete her high school education and was awarded CXC passes. Since then Shernette has been gainfully employed and attributes her success and the motivation to further her education to her time spent at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation. Her son is also a success story. He is the holder of a bachelor of science degree in computer studies and is now gainfully employed to one of the local banks in Jamaica. In addition to her first son, Shernette now has two other children, ten years apart from the first.

Shernette is among over 45,000 teen mothers who have been empowered through the programmes at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, since its inception in 1978. The foundation is a national programme which addresses the problem of interrupted education in girls 17 years and under and the accompanying social problems that occur when an adolescent girl drops out of school because of pregnancy. The programme focuses on continuing education, counselling, contraceptive counselling and support from the Ministry of Education for reintegrating girls into the formal school system.

What is Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s view of this important agency within her ministerial portfolio? Simpson Miller is delighted that the Women’s Centre helps to support the vision of full participation by ensuring that pregnant girls get a second chance. Committed to the empowerment of women and girls in Jamaica, the prime minister believes that, “Women’s full participation in decision-making and economic life across all sectors is essential to building sustainable livelihoods, a stronger economy and improving the quality of life for all in families, communities and the wider society.”

Executive Director of the Women’s Centre, Dr Zoe Simpson, says the foundation has been partnering with the Ministry of Education, which since 2013 has complete responsibility for finding and securing places in the formal school system for girls who have completed their one-year tenure there.

This was made possible through the Government’s adoption of the national policy for the reintegration of school- aged mothers into the formal school system in June 2013. The purpose of the policy is to fulfil the vision of an education system that upholds the universal right to education by facilitating all adolescent mothers to complete their education within the formal school system. The policy ensures the mandatory reintegration of school-aged mothers into the formal school system and increases public awareness of their right to an education.

However, there are challenges faced by teen mothers enrolled in the programme. A 2010 study, designed to assess the factors that facilitated or frustrated the process of completion of secondary education, found that some of the girls were not intrinsically motivated to complete their high school education and had financial challenges in meeting the demands of caring for a baby and supporting their own educational needs. Additionally, the study found that lack of parental support as well as some of the girls being inadequately prepared for reintegration into the formal school system, were key constraints.

Based on the findings of this report, Dr Simpson notes that there have been adjustments to the counselling programmes at the centre. As part of the counselling process the girls are now taught coping and self-efficacy skills as well as given lessons on resilience and determination. She describes the Women’s Centre’s aim as being that, “Every girl who comes to the women’s centre must leave with this one thing that will help her to cross every hurdle of her life. She must be so equipped and empowered that anything that comes across her path, she must know she can cross it.”

Among the many successes of the programme is a less than two per cent rate of a second pregnancy for the girls enrolled at the centre. According to Dr Simpson, this is attributed to an improved contraceptive uptake among the girls and access to counselling programmes.

Despite the successes so far, a 2012 /2013 report showed that 991 teen mothers did not register for the programme. Centre manager Beverly Martin-Berry advises adolescent mothers who are fearful of facing discrimination or who are embarrassed at becoming pregnant to turn to the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation for assistance and support.

“They should become a part of a sisterhood of second chances because that’s what the Women’s Centre is really about,” she says.

She explains that the Women’s Centre is a “place that builds the pregnant adolescent through staff and counsellors who are trained to identify needs and provide specific support.”

According to Dr Simpson, an empowered teen mother is beneficial to society.

“The child of a teen mother who has continued her education is two times more likely to be educated than the child of a teen mother who has dropped out of school,” she explains.

“The Women’s Centre is not only ensuring continuing education for the pregnant teen but the education of their offspring as well, thereby creating a good strong labour force.”

*Name changed on request