"Proof"

Moira Wood 17MPH took this photo while in Malibeni, Swaziland. She writes: "The fight against teen pregnancy is constant, but when a culture puts a woman’s inherent value on her ability to bear children, it is all the more difficult. In Swaziland, this vestige of archaic sexism can be quantified through a woman's bride-price. Once a woman reaches a certain age without proving her fertility, she becomes of no use to a potential husband and of little use to a family that can no longer profit. The young mother shown here did not want such a shameful fate, so she opted to have a baby and drop out of school in the hopes of making a better future for her family."