A group of adolescent girls across the South Tongu District in the Volta Region have undergone capacity-building training aimed at equipping them with Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
The project, titled “Youth Empowered to Thrive,” is being implemented by Developers Net with support from Plan International Ghana and was held at St. Catherine Senior High School at Agbakofe on Monday.
The training brought together 31 club leaders and their patrons from five communities, such as, Larve, Agbogbla, Agbakope, Hikpo, and Atsieve.
The participants were taken through thematic areas, including Leadership and Team Building, Adolescent Rights and Advocacy, Gender-Based Violence, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. These club leaders are expected to utilise the knowledge acquired by impacting their various club members in the communities and schools.
The overall objective of the training was to empower the participants to become agents of change within their communities by increasing their awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
The training forms part of the organisation’s long-term programmes for the year.
Madam Deborah Dzimabi, a club patron from Hikpo, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the initiative had already begun making significant impact in the lives of the girls.
“Our young ones, especially the girls, are vulnerable to many forms of abuse, but the intervention from Developers Net has made a noticeable difference within a short time. We are hopeful that by the end of the project, many young boys and girls will be transformed and serve as positive role models,” she remarked.
During the training, Madam Glory Afeti, Project lead at Developers Net, educated participants on their fundamental rights, such as the right to free and compulsory basic education, protection against child labour and physical abuse, and the right to privacy, and how to advocate for these rights using appropriate state institutions.
“As young people, you are entitled to free compulsory basic education. You must not be subjected to any form of labour that endangers your physical or mental health. When you experience abuse, speak to your peer educators, teachers, or parents who can direct you to the right institutions for support,” Ms Glory advised.
Mr. Yonna Keleku, Founder of Developers Net, encouraged the girls to prioritise their adolescent rights and provided further guidance on how to advocate for themselves in both school and community settings through the TeleYcare service.
He also hinted at how they intend to eradicate issues of abuse and teenage pregnancy among young girls in the area. “The aim is to empower the young adolescent to be able to take up responsibilities that will make them prioritise their safety and advocate for their rights.
Issues of adolescent sexual and gender-based abuses and its related matters have been a trending issue in the area over the period, a situation that necessitated the initiative from the organisations.
According to records by the Ghana Health Service, the South Tongu District witnessed a surge in teenage pregnancy cases within the first quarter of 2024. The period recorded a 15.6% rate of teenage pregnancy, as against the 12% and 13.5% in the entire of 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Source: GNA
