Empowerment: Sierra Leone

Because I am a girl…I have the right to be whatever I want to be.

Danica, a young teenager in rural Sierra Leone, has big dreams.
Read her story.

After emerging from a ravaging civil war marked by horrific cases of violence, rape, and human rights violations, development indicators listed Sierra Leone as one of the worst places in the world both socially and economically. Although the country has today achieved relative national stability, violence is still very much a part of life for the majority of girls in Sierra Leone. Teen pregnancy has reached alarming rates among girls in Sierra Leone. Over 40% of young women had their first baby by the age of 18, and 12% gave birth by age 15. Pregnancy is a leading cause for school dropout among girls.