By Kingsley Mamore
Dambai (O/R), Aug. 25, GNA – The Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC), with funding support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has organised a capacity-building workshop for youth parliamentarians in the Nkwanta North District to equip them with knowledge and skills to advocate adolescent reproductive health and rights.
The workshop sought to strengthen the capacity of the youth parliamentarians to educate and sensitise their peers on reproductive health issues, including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS, drug abuse and gender-based violence.
Mr Prince Latif Uyekunle, a UNFPA focal person, urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to become advocates for responsible behaviour and reproductive health among young people in their communities.
He encouraged them to speak out against child marriage and drug abuse while promoting awareness of reproductive health rights among their peers.
Mr Isaiah Kudjoe Dordoe, the Nkwanta North District Chief Executive (DCE), called on the youth parliamentarians to serve as ambassadors for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS.
He advised them to promote responsible behaviour and adherence to preventive measures to reduce the incidence of STIs in the district.
Mr Dordoe further encouraged the participants to share knowledge gained from the workshop with their peers and contribute positively to the development of their communities.
A Social Welfare Officer from the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly cautioned participants against engaging in sexual relations with persons below 16 years, stressing that such acts constituted criminal offences under Ghanaian law and could amount to defilement.
The officer urged the youth to report suspected cases of child abuse and gender-based violence to schools, Social Welfare offices, health facilities and counsellors for appropriate intervention.
The officer also highlighted legal and policy frameworks that protect the rights of adolescents, including the 1992 Constitution, the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), the Domestic Violence Act, 2007, the Adolescent Health Service Policy and Strategy, and relevant international human rights conventions.
A Public Health representative from the Nkwanta South Municipal Government Hospital took participants through adolescent sexual and reproductive health issues, including bodily changes during adolescence, menstrual health, reproductive anatomy, teenage pregnancy, STI prevention and HIV prevention.
Participants were also educated on misconceptions and facts relating to reproductive health and informed about contraceptive methods.
The health professional encouraged parents and guardians to provide age-appropriate reproductive health education and create supportive environments where young people could openly discuss health, responsibility and healthy relationships.
The participants were advised to help their peers understand consent, avoid coercion, delay risky behaviours and make informed decisions regarding their health and well-being.
They were further encouraged to share accurate information with their peers, support access to reproductive health services and promote positive health practices within their communities.
Some parents who participated in the programme expressed concern about increasing pressure on some adolescent girls to exchange sex for money, gifts and other forms of material support.
They said economic hardship and peer influence often exposed vulnerable young girls to exploitation and called for stronger parental guidance, community education and support systems to protect adolescents.
The workshop formed part of efforts to empower young people with knowledge, leadership skills and advocacy tools to enable them to serve as positive role models and champions of adolescent health, rights and development in the Nkwanta North District.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah