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"I didn't realize that having sex could make me pregnant" | ||||||
Dear In Burkina Faso, 25-year-old Héléne has four children. She gave birth to her first child at the age of 15. Héléne had never heard of contraception until she had her third child. After that, she asked her husband to use and help pay for contraception - but he refused and threatened to leave her. Without money to provide for it herself, Héléne was forced to seek an implant in secret at a clinic offering free contraception temporarily. Left to hope that her husband doesn't discover her secret, Héléne lives in fear, simply for trying to take control of her own health and body. Take action so that women and girls in Burkina Faso can make their own choices without fear of repercussion. Sadly, Héléne's story is not unique. Burkina Faso has one of the lowest rates of contraceptive use among women in the world. In 2014, just 17% of women were utilizing it. By the age of 19, most women are married, and among them, nearly half are already mothers. I traveled to Burkina Faso last month with an Amnesty International delegation. Alongside local women's rights defenders, Amnesty is working to ensure that women and girls have access to the information they need to realize their rights - including information about birth control, the importance of girls' education, and about how to empower girls and women to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures. Stand with me in breaking down the barriers for women and girls like Héléne. Your voice is critically needed. Join us in lifting the barriers to human rights for women and girls in Burkina Faso. In solidarity, Tarah Demant Senior Director, Identity and Discrimination Unit Amnesty International USA | ||||||
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