The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) together with the Canadian Government have taken the Empowerment of Adolescent Girls to another height with the launch of an innovative interactive platform known as CUBE CONVOS.
The Platform has been adopted to reach adolescent girls in Communities, Schools and virtual networks with empowering messages and accurate Sexual Reproductive Health information including menstrual health.
These information are intended to help the girls be abreast of issues that arise from their sexual growth and make right decisions going forward.
The information provided will also deal with some myths associated with Sexual Reproductive Health.
At the virtual launch of the programme in Accra, Country Representative of UNFPA, Niyi Ojuolape, said accelerating efforts towards achieving the 2030 SDG’s Agenda is key, therefore issues on reproductive health must not be relegated to the background.
This is because ignoring such issues is detrimental to the development of Adolescents.
Introduction of the CUBE CONVOS comes after it was realized the adolescent child feels confident in discussing issues about their sexual health among themselves.
Apart from education, they are also empowered through the provision of and access to gender-responsive services including family planning and contraception.
The Adolescent information platform has been divided into four main themes; namely Be Assertive, Be Educated, Take Control and Stand Against Abuse.
Adolescent girls aged 10-19 from Urban, peri-urban and rural areas who are in and out of school have been targeted for the programme.
Platforms for the roll-out include but are not limited to Girls clubs in schools, Out-of-school groups and associations like ‘kayayei’ and other marginalsed groups.
UNFPA Representative Niyi Ojuolape believes the discourse-focused, girl-centered innovation will equip girls with self-confidence, self-efficacy and assertiveness skills needed to address sexual and gender-based violence and harmful socio-cultural norms and practices.
Subsequently, it is expected that the dialogues will help improve accuracy of decision making of the girls on their health and assist in the community’s acceptance of their decisions.
Niyi Ojuolape reiterated that in 9 years, when successes of the SDGs are evaluated, the status of today’s adolescent girl will be a benchmark to marking their efforts.
Later, sanitary pads encrypted with themes of the CUBE CONVOS were distributed to the girls.
Meanwhile, as improving knowledge and decision making on menstrual hygiene is a key outcome of the CUBE CONVOS, the changes in knowledge and practices around menstrual hygiene will be tracked during each session whiles bi yearly follow-up interviews with participants to track long term behavior change are conducted.
STORY BY: YVONNE ATILEGO
