Accra, Oct. 27, GNA – The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) has reaffirmed its commitment to working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners, to build a justice system that is responsive to the needs of adolescents.
In view of this FIDA-Ghana has provided training for paralegals from the Volta and Eastern Regions on adolescents’ access to justice, as part of efforts to strengthen protection and support systems for young people.
The organisation noted that many adolescents faced difficulties navigating justice and protection systems because of fear, stigma, misinformation and limited knowledge of available services.
In a press release copied to the Ghana News Agency, it said the training, organised with support from the UNFPA, which is the UN Agency for Adolescent and Reproductive Health issues, focused on promoting awareness of adolescents’ rights and improving their ability to seek justice safely.
It sought to bridge this gap by empowering frontline paralegals to guide adolescents through available legal and protection pathways.
The session brought together FIDA-trained paralegals who played critical roles as first points of support for adolescents in their communities.
It said participants discussed key barriers that prevented young people from accessing justice, including limited awareness of their rights and access to legal representation, challenges in reporting abuse, limited child protection concerns, gender-based violence, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
The training also examined how paralegals could support adolescents to access appropriate referral and support services.
It said a major focus of the programme, was strengthening participants’ capacity to provide safe, child-friendly, confidential and appropriate support to adolescents seeking justice.
The paralegals were equipped with practical knowledge and skills to listen to adolescents without judgement, protect their privacy, identify cases requiring specialised intervention, and connect them to legal, health, social welfare and child protection services.
FIDA-Ghana said the approach was designed to ensure that adolescents receive timely and appropriate support, particularly those affected by abuse, exploitation or gender-based violence.
It stated that through the training, FIDA-Ghana was strengthening a network of paralegals who could raise awareness on adolescents’ rights, support case identification and referrals, and advocate for improved access to justice at the community level.
The trained paralegals from the Volta and Eastern Regions were expected to support community education, referrals and advocacy to ensure that more adolescents can access justice, protection and essential support services.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo