Sports help women stay in school longer and make them less likely to use drugs, break the law, or get pregnant at an early age.
When they do actually get pregnant, most expectant mothers understandably keep the whole thing a secret because of how fragile the first four months can be.
My mother got pregnant with me at the age of fifteen. This was '64, and unheard of at that time.
The early stage of pregnancy for me is quite hard to hide.
From 16 years old, I wanted to have a baby, that's all I wanted.
If someone gets married at 15, they're either dumb or pregnant. I was both.
I was just a normal athlete. My mother tried to spark something in me. She was an athlete in high school before she got pregnant with my older brother. She was 16, and that was it for her when it came to track and her education.
A lot of the girls I grew up with were pregnant by the time they were 16. I just was lucky.
Educating girls prevents child marriage and early pregnancy and helps women get jobs, which boosts household incomes and economic growth. It gives girls a voice and helps them to shape their own futures.
