Breaking Fears and Opening Conversation on Teen Pregnancy, Gender-Based Violence in Mexico

In 2018, 32.7 million girls and women in Mexico were mothers. Six out of every ten of them were around 14 years old when they had their first child. When Population Media Center (PMC), an NGO creating entertainment driven by social impact, researched the issue, they saw multiple factors at play. High abortion rates indicated an increased likelihood of unintended pregnancies among Mexico’s younger populations. Additionally, research showed low rates of contraceptive use during first sexual encounters and low rates of more effective contraceptive use — such as IUDs — likely contributing to higher rates of unintended teen pregnancy.

But what could be done to address it?

Enter Vencer el Miedo (“Overcome the Fear”). Vencer el Miedo “tells the story of four women from different generations facing a series of contemporary obstacles while searching for fulfillment of their dignity, sexuality, and family lives,” says Rosy Ocampo, showrunner and former Vice President of Content for Televisa. Televisa is producing the show, which will air on Canal de las Estrellas, one of Televisa’s major networks.

Obstacles that the characters will face include teen pregnancy and lack of access and education to broader reproductive health care, as well as gender-based violence, a problem recognized across the country. “I think it is of great importance to create content with cause,” says Ocampo, “to address different issues that affect our society.” A collaboration between PMC and Televisa, Vencer el Miedo hopes to both entertain Mexico’s youth and young adult populations while driving social change, improving the statistics around these important challenges.

These organizations are no strangers to creating media for impact. PMC has been producing shows for over 20 years in more than 50 countries, creating hit entertainment like Emmy-nominated East Los High, which led to more than 27,000 people using a Planned Parenthood widget during the first month of airing. The famous Sabido methodology for pro-social communication that PMC’s methodology is based on was created by Miguel Sabido when he was Vice President for Research at Televisa, and was used in the creation of multiple widely successful telenovelas including Acompáñame (“Accompany Me”), which resulted in more than 560,000 women enrolling in family planning clinics.

Vencer el Miedo will air for 47 episodes from January 20th to March 22nd; it is expected to reach 2.5-3 million viewers each night. Stay up to date on news from the show through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.