Amanza Walton-Desir of the Forward Guyana Movement took to social media to respond to two tragic incidents involving 15-year-old mothers in different regions of Guyana. One young mother in Region Six is fighting for her life after a brutal stabbing, while another in Region Two was found unresponsive just one month after giving birth, discovered only due to her infant’s incessant crying.
Walton-Desir highlighted a troubling pattern where young girls are burdened with responsibilities that they are not physically, mentally, or socially prepared to handle. “At fifteen, a child should be in school, protected, guided, and supported,” she stated, emphasizing that many adolescent girls are instead navigating pregnancy, childbirth, and unstable relationships without appropriate safeguards.
She called for recognition of the systemic issues that lead to such tragedies, noting that when teenage motherhood intersects with domestic instability, limited access to mental health services, and insufficient postpartum follow-up, it creates vulnerable conditions. “We cannot treat these incidents as isolated. They represent a deeper national issue requiring coordinated intervention across health, education, social protection, and law enforcement systems,” she said.
Walton-Desir advocated for a structured National Adolescent Maternal Support Protocol that would ensure automatic medical, psychological, and social support for minors who give birth. This would aim to prevent young mothers from navigating their recovery and responsibilities alone.
Emphasizing the need for tangible support around young mothers, she remarked, “Guyana requires a holistic approach, as economic growth should also be measured by the well-being of its youth.”
The MP concluded with a call to action, urging society to respond with seriousness and compassion. “These young girls are not statistics. They are daughters of this soil. We cannot afford another headline before we act.”
