By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, Nov. 09, GNA – The Volta Regional Directorate of the Department of Gender, under the auspices of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, has engaged 600 men and boys across the Central Tongu and Adaklu Districts and the Keta Municipality on gender equality, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The initiative, funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Global Affairs Canada, sought to reshape community perceptions of gender relations and promote positive behavioural change.
The programme forms part of efforts to champion gender equality, promote positive masculinities, advance adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) and protect the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly girls.
Discussions during the engagement focused on the various forms of GBV, including sexual, physical, emotional, and economic abuse.
Facilitators also addressed harmful cultural practices and the growing challenge of technology-facilitated gender violence, while highlighting available support systems and the legal implications of such offences.
Participants discussed the need to protect adolescent girls from exploitation and examined practical ways of promoting safety in digital spaces and fostering healthy, respectful relationships among young people.
The sessions also featured education on sexual and reproductive health, with emphasis on the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancies.
Health professionals highlighted the health risks associated with early childbearing and encouraged participants to support adolescents to make informed life decisions.
The participants were further encouraged to connect young people to professional healthcare services and reliable, age-appropriate reproductive health information.
The Department of Gender stressed that sustainable change required the active involvement of men and boys in challenging harmful gender norms and helping to create safer environments for women and children.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mrs Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Gender, explained that the inclusion of 300 men and 300 boys was deliberate because of the influence they wield in their homes and communities.
She said the dialogue focused on raising awareness and promoting behavioural change in the areas of sexual violence prevention and family planning education.
Mrs Kpe noted that many harmful practices persisted because of inadequate knowledge and misinformation.
She said understanding the causes of sexual violence and the benefits of family planning was essential to breaking cycles of abuse and promoting healthier communities.
The Regional Director urged participants to serve as peer educators by sharing the knowledge acquired with others and demonstrating responsible sexual behaviour.
She also encouraged men and boys to take collective responsibility for community safety by supporting survivors of abuse, reporting cases to the appropriate authorities and promoting gender equality within their families and communities.
Madam Margaret Dorvlo, a Public Health Nurse with the Keta Municipal Assembly, presented data highlighting the continuing prevalence of HIV in the municipality.
She said between January and June 2026, 13 new HIV cases were recorded, with a higher proportion occurring among women, while earlier cases dating back to 2020 remained on record.
Madam Dorvlo explained that although most HIV infections occurred through unprotected sexual intercourse with infected persons, transmission could also result from exposure to contaminated sharp objects, the sharing of unsterilised needles or blades, and unscreened blood transfusions.
She emphasised that all such risks were preventable through safe practices and increased public awareness.
Madam Ernestine Amehoe, Senior Midwifery Officer at the Adaklu-Ahunda Health Centre, urged Assembly Members and community youth to work together to ensure that adolescents remained in school and were supported to achieve their educational goals.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah