Learning to Protect What’s Ours: A Girl’s Journey in Sexual and Reproductive Rights

By Estela (14), from Colombia

In my community, many girls like me grow up believing that feeling unsafe in the streets is just a part of life. For a long time, I thought it was normal to be afraid of walking alone or to change my route to school just to avoid certain corners. But that changed the day I attended a workshop about girls’ rights organized by Global Girls Glow.

Discovering Our Rights

It was during an activity called cartography. We had to draw the path from our homes to school and talk about what we saw or felt along the way. What started as a simple drawing became something much deeper.

We realized that most of us walked in groups because we were scared to pass by certain places where men shouted things at us, or people who used drugs hung around. Some girls even said that older men had followed them or offered them money from their motorcycles.

That day, we learned that these situations are not “normal.” They are part of the everyday violence girls experience, and they are linked to sexual violence.

Awareness becomes power when girls speak up for themselves and each other.

Naming What We Feel

We also started to talk about smaller things that made us uncomfortable, things we used to ignore. For example, when the man at the corner store rubs our hands while giving us change, or gives us a strange look. Before, we thought those moments did not matter. But in the workshop, we learned that these are also ways of invading our space and showing disrespect for our bodies.

That is when something changed in me. I understood that catcalling is not a compliment. It is harassment that takes away our sense of safety.

Together with my friends, we decided to act. We created a campaign called “Your Compliment? No. Your Respect? Yes!” to raise awareness among men in our neighborhood. We wanted them to know that we deserve to walk freely, without fear or disrespect.

Learning About Our Bodies and Our Rights

After that experience, we started learning more about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), what they mean, and why they matter.

We discovered that having these rights means understanding that our bodies belong to us. No one has the right to touch us without our consent or to offer us things in exchange for affection or favors. Even a hug should never make us feel fear or discomfort.

We also learned that protecting our bodies and talking about these issues is not something to be ashamed of. It is a way of taking care of our health, our emotions, and our lives.

Left: “My life has value, my body is priceless.” Right: “Teenage pregnancy contributes to poverty and inequality.”

Building Safety Together

In our community, feeling safe is still a challenge. But now we know that the problem is not us, it is the way society treats girls. And that knowledge gives us power.

Today, when we walk together, we do it not just to feel safer but to show that we are aware, that we know our rights, and that we are not alone.

Looking Forward Together

Learning about our rights has changed more than how I walk through my neighborhood. It has changed how I see myself and my friends. We are no longer invisible, and our voices matter. Every time we speak up and every time we educate someone else about respect and consent, we make our community a little safer and a little stronger.

I want every girl reading this to know that your body belongs to you and your voice matters. When you stand with others who care about safety and respect, you are not alone. Together we can challenge fear, change attitudes, and build a world where girls do not just survive but thrive.