By Benard Worlali Awumee
Anyanui (V/R), Nov 20, GNA- The Department of Gender has held a dialogue session for young men at Anyanui and its environs in the Anloga District on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHRs) among others.
The dialogue session was aimed at advancing gender equality, SRHRs, prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and promoting positive masculinities.
Held under the auspices of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the five-hour interactive dialogue saw facilitators take participants through a series of sessions aimed at promoting social and behavioural change with topics including gender equality and masculinity, effects of adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and family planning.
Madam Esther Amesawu, the Public Health Nurse at the Anloga District Health Directorate talked about how to prevent teenage pregnancy and its effects, family planning methods including proper condom usage.
“Pregnancy comes with lots of responsibilities hence one must be ready for it. That is why you must take your sexual and reproductive issues very seriously as young adults.
“We are encouraged to seek advice from health professionals on family planning options for which condom use is one common method…Let us seek early health care whenever we notice any symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease,” she advised.
The all-men participants numbering about 70 between the ages of 20 and 40 were engaged with some adolescent schoolboys present.
Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe, the Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender, shared the project’s goal with the Ghana News Agency saying, it sought to help young men change from toxic masculinity that affects them as men.
“The goal is to develop more positive masculinities to prevent gender-based violence, end child marriage, teenage pregnancy and diseases. We want the beneficiaries to become ambassadors to other young men and boys in the community to educate them on their sexual rights and responsibilities as well as create a conducive environment for the young girls to thrive.”
Mr Edwin Kushime, the Assembly member of the area, shared his satisfaction with the programme saying it would help reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy in the area.
Other personalities present were Togbi Hatsu III of Dzita and some staff from the Anyanui E. P. Basic School.
The dialogue, which was previously held at Tegbi, Bolove-Nolopi, and Kedzikope was a scale-up dialogue with young men and women which involved the training of facilitators to facilitate boot camps for other young boys and girls.
GNA