UNESCO - EFA Global Monitoring Report

Box 4.9. Costa Rica: Building Opportunities for young mothers



The ‘Building Opportunities’ programme aims to provide personal and social training to pregnant girls and to poor teenage mothers, with the aim of reintegrating this group and preventing them from dropping out of the formal education system. In its three years of operation, the programme has trained around 10,000 girls. Topics covered have included women’s human rights, organization and leadership, gender-based violence, health-care issues and other rights-based topics.		Impact assessments indicate that the programme has succeeded in boosting the girls’ self-images and abilities to make themselves heard and respected. They are reported to feel more at ease with themselves and have managed to set themselves long-term goals. Approximately 60% have returned to, or remained in, the education system. The involvement of civil society organizations in the programme as facilitators has enhanced the work methodology and provided follow-up of the girls after their training.



Source: Guzman and Letendre (2003).

BACK