By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Sept. 3, GNA – A week-long conference to stimulate knowledge sharing, networking and impactful discussions on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young people in northern Ghana has begun in Tamale.
The conference dubbed: “Northern Ghana SRHR Conference for Young People,” (NORGHA24) is an annual event, which provides the platform for young people to seek answers and clarity on their SRHR as well as solicit policymakers’ commitment to addressing such needs.
It is organised by Norsaac, an NGO, with funding support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Oxfam in Ghana, and Axis, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), ActionAid Ghana, Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana, YEFL-Ghana, Children Believe amongst other partners.
It featured fun games, interactive sessions, presentations on SRHR, on the theme: “Healthy, Informed and Empowered: Young People Leading the Way in SRHR”.
It attracted various stakeholders, including traditional authorities, students and youth groups in the northern part of the country.
Mr Mohammed Awal Alhassan, the Executive Director of Norsaac, said it was born out of a critical need to provide a safe platform where young people could convene and articulate their SRHR challenges, learn about their reproductive health and rights and to hold duty-bearers accountable on some of the key policies on their overall growth and development.
He said the last four editions of the event had facilitated discussions and engagements with stakeholders focusing on practical realities experienced by young people.
Mr Alhassan indicated that the conference, since its inception, had directly benefitted 2,000 young people whilst some other 500 young people had also been impacted with skills training as a source of income generation to support their livelihoods.
He encouraged the youth to stay away from violence, especially in the upcoming elections and urged them to concentrate on advocating for policies and programmes that supported their holistic growth and development.
Mrs Abena Adobea Amoah, the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana, said the SRHR realities on young people required collaborative efforts from all stakeholders, including policymakers to address.
She said, “The SRHR challenges are not only on statistics. They represent the lives, dreams, and potential of our youth. As a society, we must confront these realities head-on with a determination to create a future where every young person has the opportunity and support to succeed.”
Mr Edmond Moukala, the UNESCO Representative to Ghana, said advocacy on SRHR must be seen as a collective responsibility since its effects influenced the entire community and not just an individual.
He emphasised the need to empower adolescent girls and women, saying “it is more likely that young women, who finish school, will go after their dreams if they are encouraged to put off early marriage and having children until they are ready.”
Sagnar-Naa Yakubu Abdulai, the Paramount Chief of Sagnarigu Traditional Area, who was represented, commended Norsaac and partners for their commitment to advancing the reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls and women in the country.
He pledged to ensure that young women in his traditional area were adequately empowered to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country as whole and the community.
GNA