NGO Encourages Journalists on Reproductive Health Right Issues To Help Adolescent Girls Access Information On Safe Abortion, STI.
A REPRODUCTIVE health Non- Governmental Organization, Alliance for Reproductive Health Right as part of its activities to promote healthy reproductive health among Ghanaian women and girls have trained journalists from Bono and Bono East regions on issues that affect reproductive health rights of girls in ghanaian societies in Techiman.
The journalists were taken through statistics that showed worrying trend of increasing teenage progrenamcy among junior high school students and SHS girls.
They discussed sexual based violence against women and girls and its effects of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS. This the NGO says affect growth such as drop out of school and affect the country's develooment.
According to the trainers, the country's growth rate as at 2022 was 2.1 percent and did not match up with its development in areas of access to health facilities, sanitation, roads, and schools.
Isaac Nyampong, Programme Manager of the NGO said non- access to vital information for adolescent girls make them take decisions that negatively affect their continue stay in school for a better outcome. .
For instance JHS and SHS girls who out of ignorant became pregnant should have information for safe abortion and opt for it while remain in school.
'A sexually active girl must be aware of contraceptive use to remain in education if she still wants enjoy sex and go to school. She can protect herself during sex while continue her education'.
He therefore called on media persons to discuss health reproductive issues more often on their programmes and do write up on women and girls to become aware of their basic rights regarding family planning services, risk behaviours such as unprotected sex and others. He further entreated media practitioners to encourage parents to disccuse sexuality with their children at age specific to avoid adolescent pregnancy and HIV.
He maintained lack of these information put adolescent girls at risk and so damage their future.
Using statistics to buttress his point, he said data from Education Management Information System from 2021 to 2022 showed 909 primary girls became pregnant while 5,119 JHS also were pregnant, and 2, 512 girls at SHS also were pregnant during 2021 . This added to 8,540 girls who dropped out of school because of unwanted pregnancies.
Again, In 2022, 1,753 pregnancies were recorded at the primary schools, 4,259 at the JHS, and 464 at the SHS bringing to a total of 6, 476 girls who through no fault of theirs or out of ignorance dropped out from school.
Media persons were also advised against scaring away listeners on issues of sexuality as a result of language so should descent words when discussing issues of rape, defilement and violence against women on their radio and television shows.
Mr. Isaac Nyampong regreted there was push back from society in 2019 when government introduced reproductive health education in schools to allow pupils access sexuality and reproductive health rights information.
He maintained the only way to solve the problem of sex and continuous education among girls is to provide them with age appropriate information for them to make choice and have access to health facilities.
On his part, Benjamin Oppong Twumesi, policy advocacy for the organization explained the essence of the training is to bring media along to help educate society on issues militating women in Ghana.
According to him failing to plan families, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, violence against women and other social vices work against development and keep the country low.
The media persons at the end of the training appreciated the efforts and promised to put into practise what they were taught.
Source: Daniel Y Dayee, Techiman/Alrich24newsgh.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment