AmplifyChange, an international non-governmental organization with its partners, Mannion Daniel Limited in the UK, is funding the implementation of £40,000 project to empower young people to access Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHRs) and safe abortion services in Upper West and Bono East Regions.
Titled “Advocating for the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Policy in schools (AICSEPS)”, the 12-month project, sought to address a change of perception, attitude, social norms, stigma, and discrimination against young people in accessing SRHR.
Being implemented by the Global Hand on Natural Environmental Care (GHANECare), a local NGO the project targets to reach 6,000 young people between 15 and 24 years, in 30 selected communities in Jirapa and Wa Central Municipalities in Upper West and Nkoranza South Municipality, and Pru West District in the Bono East Region.
The project, according to Mr Richard Kuunaah, the Executive Director of GHANECare, would further improve CSE education in schools and greatly help young people realized their sexual and reproductive health rights and responsibilities.
Addressing a news conference in Sunyani on Thursday, Mr Kuunaah emphasized sexual and reproductive health education remained key a component in a multi-faceted approach to addressing the sexuality and reproductive health needs of adolescent people.
He said it was imperative to introduce young people in schools to practice skills related to contraceptive use and that would greatly improve their comprehensiveness on sexuality to help them protect their sexual and other reproductive health right
“Social Behavioural Change Communication is a cognitive concept that needs more time to effect real change in society. So therefore the project would train 120 adolescent girls and young women on advocacy-skills to work in selected schools for desirable outcomes”, Mr Kuunaah stated.
He added that particularly, girls’ understanding of sexuality in general, would greatly empower them to control their sexual desires, concentrate and build on their future.
“We can no more hide issues relating to sexuality and reproductive health from boys and girls. They are young adults and we must open up to them to enable them to understand issues better”, Mr Kuunaah added.
He called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana Health Service to collaborate and inculcate the CSE into the school curricula and expressed the hope that the two institutions would push the review of some contents of CSE policy that was impeding the implementation of the CSE in schools.