Bulgarian Fund for Women, in partnership with the youth clubs of the organizations “Big Brother, Big Sister – Bulgaria”, G.L.O.W., “Umenie 2003”, Sports Club “Izida – Svilengrad”, “Ecomission 21” and PULS foundation, are initiating a national campaign “Rano mi e” (It’s not time yet), aimed at the prevention of early marriages and early school leave, at the overcoming of gender stereotypes and gender-based violence, and the introduction of health and sex education in the Bulgarian school system.
With simultaneous events in 7 Bulgarian cities – Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Smolyan, Yambol, Svilengrad, Lovech and Pernik, the young participants will teach basic knowledge to their fellow teenagers on topics such as sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy prevention, problems of the early marriages and school leave, etc.
The partnering organization have been working for over a month on various initiatives and use innovative approach to reach the teenage audience – interactive games and seminars, discussions and video messages, free screenings, a competition and a flash mob.
The campaign aims to draw attention to the necessity to raise the sexual and health knowledge among the youth and the importance of the access to education, which builds systematically knowledge, skills and healthy and responsible attitude.
The BFW alarmingly notes that according to a IPPFEN study, only 20,9 % from the Bulgarian students have been on lectures on health and sex education and the contemporary contraception methods at school. The only EU countries lagging behind us are the Czech Republic and Lithuania. The lack of knowledge on sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancy, and sexual relations to the opposite sex is shocking. Moreover, sexual literacy id declining from 32.8% in 2013 to 30.2% in 2015.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that young people have extremely risky sexual behavior – 40% have not used condom during their first sexual intercourse, many of them have parallel sexual relations and short time span of the sexual partnerships. The high number of early pregnencies (up to 19 y.o.) and the number of abortions in the age 15-19 are evident. Bulgaria holds the first position in Europe, together with Russia and Ukraine. In 2009 more than 10000 girls have given birth before turning 20, and almost 500 of them have been under the age of 15. Statistical data on marriages in the period 2010 – 2015 reveal that there is an increase of marriages among the adolescent.
This data reveals serious social reality as early pregnancy leads to early dropping out of school, which hinders the girl’s personal development. The low level of education leads to difficult work realization on the labour market, it makes women economically dependent and decreases their contribution to economic growth”, so representatives of the BFW. ‘The level of education reflects on the relations within the family and mostly on the attutide towards children.”
The project “Gender Equality Youth Clubs: Young People’s Sexual Education in Fight Against Early Marriages, Gender Stereotypes and Violence” is made with the financial support of the Telus International Europe foundation.
