The Youth Stand For SRHR project has been launched in Yilo Krobo to address the community’s sexual reproductive challenges among young people.
According to the Project Manager, Joseph Amoako-Atta, the vulnerabilities of girls were reaffirmed in the 2020 data from the Ghana Health Service that indicated that the Eastern region is the second region that holds the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Ghana with about 10,865 teenage pregnancies in 2020.
He said “in comparison to their male counterparts, young girls are more likely to drop out of school, marry young, and suffer the consequences of poor sexual and reproductive health”.
Mr Amoako-Attah added that “girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights violations, insufficient reproductive health services, education, and underage marriage, all of which hinder their ability to reach their full human potential.”
The project will conduct a situational analysis to identify and work on how to improve accessibility to information and services of sexual and reproductive health and rights; to specifically tackle teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender-based violence among other vulnerabilities adolescents face in the district.
Also, a comparative research will be conducted to understand the localized dynamics of teenage pregnancy coupled with reproductive-consciousness workshops and training sessions among JHS level students as a way to resolve teenage pregnancy.
Lastly, a comprehensive policy paper will be developed for the District Assembly to consider in subsequent developmental advocacy and restructuring projects.
Among the list of beneficiary schools are Adjikpo Dokuyo M/A JHS, Yilo State JHS and Somanya Presby No.1 JHS.
Press Release
Adolescents and young people are entitled to appropriate living conditions; but, due to the vulnerabilities they face, girls confront disproportionate risks and unique effects. In comparison to their male counterparts, young girls are more likely to drop out of school, marry young, and suffer the consequences of poor sexual and reproductive health.
Adolescent females encounter various physical and social risks that jeopardize their human rights and livelihoods.
During early adolescence, the demands and opportunities for girls and boys diverge, with girls reaching puberty two years sooner than males on average. This is the start of a long time of risk for many girls in impoverished countries, during which
They have little or no control over key social, health, and economic outcomes.
Girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights violations, insufficient reproductive health services, education, and underage marriage, all of which hinder their ability to reach their full human potential.
The recognition that adolescent girls and young women face a complex array of issues led the WOMEN DELIVER Young Leader, Joseph Amoako-Atta to initiate an in-depth situational analysis of adolescent girls and young women in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern. The project is dubbed “ Youth Stand For SRHR”. Per the 2020 data from the Ghana Health Service, the Eastern region is the second region that holds the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Ghana with about 10,865 teenage pregnancies in 2020. This edition to be undertaken in the Yilo Krobo district will be the first for the project management team.
Thus, the aim of the project is to:
- Conduct situational analysis to identify and work on how to improve accessibility to information and services of sexual and reproductive health and rights; to specifically tackle teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender based violence among other vulnerabilities adolescents face in the district.
- Conduct a comparative research to understand the localized dynamics of teenage pregnancy and in the district.
3 Hold empirical workshops and training sessions to educate teenagers at the Junior High School level on sexual and reproductive health and rights to bring them to an extent of reproductive consciousness as a stop gap measure to teenage pregnancy.
- Develop a comprehensive policy paper for the District Assembly to consider in subsequent developmental advocacy and restructuring projects.
TRAINING SESSIONS IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN YILO KROBO
The project entails a training session for 100 adolescents in JHS in the yilo krobo municipality. The selected schools are
- ADJIKPO DOKUYO M/A JHS
- YILO STATE JHS
- SOMANYA PRESBY NO.1 JHS
These trainees will receive education on adolescent reproductive health and also taught on how to become champions in their various vicinities to campaign for accessible information of sexual reproductive health and rights for other adolescents in order to tackle the ever growing rate of teenage pregnancy.
ABOUT PROJECT MANAGER
The project is an initiative of Joseph Amoako-Atta, a 2020 Women Deliver young leader. In May this year, 2021, he was selected among 11 other young leaders to receive grants from Women Deliver to work on various advocacy projects in their local communities. He is a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and currently a corresponding reporter for Team Harmony Foundation based in the USA.
