By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Ho, June 13, GNA – The Adaklu District office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Friday engaged drivers, boys and men at the Adaklu station in Ho on adolescent reproductive health issues, gender-based violence and gender equality.
The engagement was funded by Global Affairs, Canada and implemented by NCCE and UNFPA.
Miss Yvonne M. Awlavi, an official of the office stated that the aim of the engagement was to empower boys and men for adolescent health, gender equality and preventing gender-based violence through civic engagement.
She told the gathering that Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) were a serious development concern in Ghana.
Miss Awlavi said these issues disproportionately affected the reproductive life of adolescents.
She said in 2025 these interventions were carried out across selected districts through stake-holder engagements, visits to identifiable groups including adolescent boys and girls and men’s groups.
She disclosed that these activities contributed to improved awareness of adolescent issues, strengthened community dialogue and GBV and enhanced engagement with both duty bearers and community members.
Miss Awlavi said despite these gains, gaps remained in coverage, intensity and the consolidation of behavioural change, particularly in reaching new and underserved communities.
She continued that there were also gaps in sustaining positive behavioural shifts among men and boys and deepening community ownership of interventions.
She said there was therefore the need to scale-up and continue these engagements in order to reinforce key messages, extend outreach to additional communities and strengthen institutional and community systems for sustained impact.
In response to this needs, she stated that NCCE would this year implement a scaled-up and consolidated set of activities across all 22 operational districts in four regions of the country.
Miss Awlavi called for deepening Community engagement adding that through targeted engagements and coordinated efforts, the Programme would contribute to building safer and more supportive communities.
She stated that markets and lorry stations
were high-traffic public spaces that provided strategic opportunities to reach diverse groups with civic education messages on adolescent health, SRHR and GBV prevention.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade