‘My Parents Don’t Want to Tell Me Such Things’: Girls’ Calls for Greater Intergenerational Dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing


This paper explores girls’ calls for greater intergenerational dialogue on sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing, drawing on data from Plan International’s qualitative, longitudinal study with girls and their caregivers in nine countries (Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Philippines, Togo, Uganda, and Vietnam). The study followed the lives of 142 girls from their birth in 2006 until they turned 18 in 2024, offering a unique opportunity to explore how families talk about sex and sexuality as girls grow up. Despite increasing awareness in research and policy that intergenerational dialogue is vital to promoting sexual and reproductive health and that comprehensive sexuality education is vital to achieving gender justice, we consistently found across time and very different contexts that caregivers were reluctant to discuss sex and sexuality with their children. Many felt girls already accessed this information from school, religious institutions, or the internet, while others gave their daughters vague warnings about not getting too close to boys and men. Girls themselves, by contrast, consistently expressed a desire for more information about menstruation, puberty, and sex, including preventing pregnancy, and they wanted to be able to discuss these topics within their families. They viewed such discussions as necessary to enabling them to make informed decisions and protect themselves from harm. The findings demonstrate a need to empower caregivers to discuss these topics with their daughters and, more broadly, the need for greater intergenerational dialogue in support of efforts to achieve gender equality.

Belen Garcia-Gavilanes

Belen Garcia Gavilanes is an ESRC-funded PhD candidate in the School of Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University. She holds an MSc in Media, Communications, and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an MSc in Social Science Research Methods from Cardiff University.

Rosie Walters

Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Cardiff University

Dr Rosie Walters is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Cardiff University, with research interests in feminist, poststructuralist, and postcolonial approaches to international relations.

Keya Khandaker

Research Manager and Project Lead for Plan International’s Real Choices, Real Lives

Dr Keya Khandaker is the Research Manager and Project Lead for Plan International’s Real Choices, Real Lives study and has also led the State of the World’s Girls research series. Keya holds a PhD in Gender and Development from the University of Leeds – in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute – on youth agency, gender equality norms, and the Sustainable Development Goals. This research grew out of Keya’s background as a youth advocate on gender equality and meaningful youth participation in development, as a representative for various development organisations.

Kit Catterson

Senior Writer within Plan International’s CEO Office and was the previous Research Manager for the Real Choices, Real Lives study

Dr Kit Catterson is the Senior Writer within Plan International’s CEO Office and was the previous Research Manager for the Real Choices, Real Lives study, having led its strategic direction and management.