YWCA England & Wales

what we do

Lauren

Lauren, 19, became a peer educator on YWCA’s Did you know programme. She visited several schools in Bristol to talk to groups of 15-year-olds about sex, relationships and peer pressure.

“I have a one-year old son. I’ve been going to YWCA for about 18 months after I moved out of a mother and baby unit with my son. I decided to get involved in peer education because I thought it was a great idea. Students are more likely to listen to people like me and the other young women because they know we’ve been there and we have done what they are doing.”

“We encourage discussions where students have to agree or disagree with statements such as: ‘A relationship is healthy if you constantly have to apologise for your partner’s behaviour’. We focus on the emotional questions involved in having sex, and the groups considers what is and is not acceptable in a relationship.

“The feedback from the pupils who took part was great. One said she'd learnt not to worry about saying no in a relationship and not to feel pressure to do anything she didn’t want.”

Hannah Wilcox, manager of YWCA Bristol said: “Our staff noticed that the pupils enjoyed the chance to talk freely and express their feelings without any judgement, knowing that the young mothers understood. They considered the impact of peer pressure and had a really positive discussion. This approach to sex and relationships education can play a huge role in schools.”

Find out how your support can help young women like Lauren here.