The Central Regional Department of Gender, has organised a two-day peer-to-peer reproductive health programme for over fifty adolescents at Ngresi in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
As part of their role, they would provide
information on how to report cases of sexual violence in their respective communities
and schools, organise education and sensitisation activities to create
awareness among their peers to help them deal with sexual violence against
adolescents.
They were schooled on major topics including sexual
and reproductive health rights, gender violence, human rights, child rights
laws and sexual violence.
The peer educators were selected from some selected junior high and senior high schools in communities such as Sibinso, Ngresi, Kyinso, Adu-Amankwa, Mano, Besease, Achiase, Atobiase, Kyekyewere and Fawomanye.
They were charged to be clear about their sexual
values, be honest, open and effectively seize every opportunity to scale up
public advocacy.
The training was an initiative by the
Department of Gender, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service, the
Methodist Church-Ghana and funded by UNFPA.
In a presentation at the programme, Mrs Thywill
Eyra Kpe, the Regional Director of the Department said the general objective of
the programme was to empower adolescents’ reproductive health educators to help
enhance quality child health in the country.
This is geared towards empowering them to seek
redress on issues of sexual, economic, emotional and psychological violence,
which would make adolescents especially girls responsible for reporting
perpetrators.
Good quality sex education, according to her
makes young people to discover and become aware of their sexual and responsible
health (SRH), know their rights, assert themselves and stay healthy
emotionally, to pursue other aspects of education to their full potential.
She said sex education is a catalyst in
addressing sexual health issues, and services as a cost-effective way of
promoting healthy living among young people.
Mrs Kpe said it was for that reason that the Department and allied partners in collaboration with government were vigorously seeking ways of incorporating teaching and learning of SRHR into the school curriculum.
Vivian Korkor , a community health nurse at Nyankomasi-Ahenkro Health Centre took them through the processes of contraceptive use, menstrual cycle and transition of adolescents into motherhood, challenges health implications.
She mentioned some health challenges such as complications in child birth, , ectopic pregnancy, still birth, maternal and neonatal deaths among others and advised adolescents not to turn to peers for medical advice since this may result in serious complications but always consult health facilities for medical attention.
Toah further called on all, including the media, to be ambassadors and champions who can debunk myths and misconceptions surrounding contraceptive use.
Very Revered Henry De-Graft Appiah, the Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Church of Assin Ngresi/Nkran Circuit charged the youth to live morally upright lives to serve as motivation to the younger ones.-GNA