Participants of the Northern Ghana Sexual Health Reproductive Conference for Young People (NORGHA 2018) have asked prominent leaders including chiefs in the three regions of the north to stop interfering in the investigation of sexual abuse cases.
Suspects of such cases in police custody have often jumped prosecution because of prominent leaders plea.
In a comprehensive communique, the participants attributed the increase in child right abuses to such interferences.
They, therefore, advocated a strong collaboration between those prominent leaders and the Domestic Victims Violence Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service to deal with child right abusers.
The communique read by Issahaku Radia Chantiwuni stated that “chiefs, religious leaders, and even teachers still interfere in sexual harassment cases making the rate of teenage pregnancy, child marriages, rape and defilement rampant.”
The communique rubbished the transfer of teachers who abuse students to other schools instead of prosecuting them.
Alhassan Mohammed Awal, the Executive Director of NORSAAC, the NGO which initiated the NORGHA inspired the participants to serve as change Ambassadors.
He further urged the participants to say no to school dropout and child marriages.
Alhassan Mohammed Awal promised that menstrual hygiene discussion will dominate the next edition which will bring together 500 young people.
He expressed immense appreciation to the UNFPA, Rains, ActionAid Ghana and Youth Empowerment for Life for their contribution to the conference
According to him, the conference was sponsored by the local partners.
Below is the communique:
COMMINIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF 2018 NORTHERN GHANA SRHR CONFERENCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (NORGHA2018) HELD FROM AUGUST 27th to 1STSEPTEMBER, 2018 AT TAMALE GIRLS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (PAGNAA) IN TAMALE, NORTHERN REGION.
We, young people from the Northern Ghana, numbering 248 and within the ages of 15 to 30 years have participated in the four days Northern Ghana SRHR conference for young people- NORGHA 2018.
This conference was organised by NORSAAC in partnership with UNFPA, RAINS, Youth Empowerment for Life, and ActionAid and held at Tamale Girls Senior High School (Pagnaa) in Tamale from 27th August to 1st September, 2018.
The conference gave participants opportunity to interact with each other and stakeholders for a good socio-cultural environment that will promote young people uninterrupted access to SRHR information and services. It provided a platform for networking, career guidance, mentorship and coaching in identified skills.
Having discussed topics such as Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Youth Friendly Reproductive Health Service, Family Planning, Comprehensive Abortion Care, Drug and substance abuse, Youth in Leadership and advocacy and Mentorship and coaching.
Having benefited and appreciated hand skills like; Art work, Youth in Journalism, Youth in Information Technology, Soap Making, Interior Decoration and event organizing.
Having interacted with various resources persons and among ourselves on the conference theme “Overcoming socio- cultural and religious barriers to young people’s access to SRHR information and services in Ghana; the position of the young people”. Hereby observed the following issues and specific demands from the under-listed.
- Religious and traditional leaders still intimidate the health centers, NGOs and even we young people on issues of reproductive health.
- Chiefs, religious leaders and even teachers still interfere in sexual harassment cases making the rate of teenage pregnancy, child marriages, rape and defilement rampant.
- Access to condoms and other contraceptives remains a challenge due to inadequate health workers and restrictions
- Non-functional counselling units in the various schools contributes greatly to young people inability to overcome stigma that people put on young people who access reproductive health services.
- There is still unfriendly health care service providers who push young people away from health centers leaving us vulnerable to peer misguidance. Yet nothing is done to health care providers who deny young people services or are not friendly to them when they visit health centers.
- Teachers who abuse students are transferred to different schools as punishment leaving the helpless students in perpetual pain.
- Traditional authority and governments deliberately deny young people access to decision making platforms even when the issues affect them directly.
Reflecting on the above and many others, we make the following demands from Traditional Authority, Ghana Health Services Government and even the NGOs to remodel socio-cultural practices for improved young people access to SRHR services.
To the Chief, we ask that;
- Please welcome the health workers and NGOs into communities and support them give young people information and services on reproductive health.
- Do not interfere in sexual harassment cases. Make communities understand that any member found as culprit to sexual harassment, the law will deal with the person.
- Provide land or spaces in communities for Ghana Health Service to set-up youth friendly corners.
- Involve the young people in community development activities especially on growth and development of young people.
- Integrate SRHR discussion in all traditional council discussion especially on young people access to SRHR services.
To Ghana Health Service, we demand that;
- Train and dispatch more health workers into the communities. Such health workers visits to the communities should be at least twice in a month.
- Put in-place monitoring and disciplinary measures for health centres on youth friendly services and take young people through it so that they can help you monitor the activities of health centres.
- Establish/revamp complain units in all help facilities to deepen confidence of young people to report and seek redress.
To Ghana Education Service:
- Comprehensive Sexuality Education must be added to the curriculum for both teacher trainees and students.
- Provide counselling units in all schools with the needed staffs and materials for them to be able to help young people make good decisions on reproductive health and career choices.
- Volunteer peer educators on Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be part of the counselling units in schools.
To the NGOs,
- Have a comprehensive information or training for youth advocates. The bit of information given to youth advocates limits their ability to help their peers overcome the numerous challenges facing them.
- Work in partnership and as a collective group so that young people can get comprehensive support from your projects to enjoy their fundamental human rights.
- Join us in building evidence and actively engage our government to implement SRHR local and International policies.
We look forward to working with you all on the above demands.
Thank you
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana