Contents
Young mom: do away with clichés
Having a very young child doesn’t make you a bad mother. It is this stereotype which is still too widespread in society that Jendella Benson wishes to combat with her “Young Motherhood” project. Since 2013, this British photographer has been making magnificent portraits of young mothers with their children. In all, twenty-seven women were interviewed, photographed and filmed across the UK. Most got pregnant in their late teens or early twenties.
Early pregnancy: fighting prejudices
The artist told The Huffington Post that the project was inspired by her own friends. “I saw how hard they had worked to raise their children while continuing their studies, this is in direct contradiction with all the clichés about young mothers that we hear: irresponsible people, without ambition, who do children to get help. This myth is really pervasive, and it affects mothers. Through this project, the photographer learned a lot about the experiences of mothers. “There are a host of reasons a woman gets pregnant and decides to keep her child, and the decision to be a mother at a young age is no tragedy. The interviews and portraits will form the content of a book, while the filmed sequence will be published as news episodes on Jendella Benson’s site. “This series as well as the book will hopefully be a valuable resource for young mothers, as well as for those who work with them. “