As Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark International Day of the Girl Child on Tuesday, October 11, a group of young girls in Cape Coast were sensitized against acts which affect their adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
They were urged to stay away from acts such as masturbation, and early sex among others which have the potential to hinder them from achieving their future dreams.
The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually to direct attention to how relevant it is to address the challenges girls face.
Interacting with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) at a programme the Centre held in commemoration of the Day, the young girls mentioned masturbation, teenage pregnancy, and being in an early boy-girl relationship as some of the challenges they are facing as adolescents.
Educating them on adolescent health issues, a research fellow with CEGRAD UCC, Dr. Amanda Odoi stressed the need for the girls to flee from such acts.
She advised them saying the future is important and it is necessary for them to take control of especially their sexual desires as it can hinder their dreams from coming true in future.
“I want you to know that masturbation has effects, so if you feel like masturbating you can channel your energy to something else. You can decide to leave you can decide to run around, you can decide to do so many things that will take your attention off it.” She added.
To her, it is important for the youth especially girls of adolescent age focus attention on completing school successfully.
“The future is not just about who you marry, but what you can do. There are some dreams that we want to have cars want to buy houses dresses we want to wear, all those ones come with money and to get that money you have to find work to do and to be able to do find work you have to go to school.” She said.
In addition to adolescent health education, the girls who are from the Kwaprow Basic School in Cape Coast were also engaged in gender issues as well as career paths and counselling. Boys from the school were also included in sensitization programmes with the aim of training them to be advocates and help their sisters and future wives and also daughters.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ATL FM NEWS after the event, the Director of CEGRAD UCC, Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro was hopeful the young girls will make good use of the information they were impacted with.
She was particularly happy that the teachers of the students were also present at the meeting as she believes the teachers can be advocates of the topics thought to help the girls safeguard their future.
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Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
