Advocating Sexual Reproductive Health Right -Girls

Introduction: I am a young Zambian lady aged 24, a medical officer by profession. I am presenting this paper because I have witnessed a lot of the past victims of sexual abuse among adolescent girls in Africa and Mena including myself

PROBLEM: Africa is experiencing the largest youth population ever in its history entering a childbearing age of 14 or less, with adolescent girls constituting more than one-quarter of the total population. Teenage pregnancy rate stands at 28% and about 42% of girls are married by age 16; while an estimated 30% of maternal deaths are a result of unsafe abortions, of which 80% are among adolescent girls. Weak supportive legal policy and less accountability by most African governments at the local or district level to provide sexual and reproductive health rights to adolescent girls has caused the above problems. During my research, I noted that 80% of the district development plans do not have an SRHR plan in place to support girls at the grassroots level. The paper will provide information and recommendations on how to improve accountability and awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls at the district level in Africa.

The paper will recommend the promotion and distribution of male and female condoms targeting adolescents and young people, through social marketing, social media platforms, and mass media.

The parents especially mothers will they need to have Franky talk with their adolescent girls to spread messages on reproductive health rights to young girls so that they can demand for their rights promoting accountability from their leaders and prevent having an early baby like me and other millions of girls.

During my research, I noted that the evidence-based approach can influence, facilitate, and promote social accountability to achieve health outcomes among adolescent girls. There is a need for African nationals to build the capacity of peer educators to demand accountability and an improved supply of family planning services in established youth-friendly centers in rural areas and at district levels. To increase the awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights to millions of adolescent girls sex education should be introduced in schools at an early age, which recently was denied by the Zambian community due to past cultural and religious beliefs.

Parents should look at education as the only weapon to fight future poverty for their families, especially girl child. Through my project will lobby and advocate to all African governments and regional leaders to ensure that budget spending towards the education of poor girl children is reasonable that a girl child is given free education till the age of 15 and that sexual education is allowed in all schools at an early age.

Adolescents have a need for Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as they transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents undergo a number of physical, emotional, and social changes. My Studies demonstrate that they are often unprepared for these changes. For example, substantial numbers of girls in many African countries have knowledge gaps and misconceptions about menstruation that cause fear and anxiety and leave them unprepared when they begin menstruating. Similarly, critical gaps in knowledge exist among adolescent girls, especially in Africa and Asia, about where to obtain and how to use a range of modern contraceptive methods. Additionally, although comprehensive knowledge about HIV has increased, only around 1 in 3 young men and women aged 15–24 years from African countries surveyed between 2011 and 2016 had comprehensive knowledge on how to prevent HIV transmission. Adolescents need knowledge and skills to make well-informed choices about their lives, learn how to avoid and deal with problems, and know where to seek help if necessary. .CSE can help adolescents develop knowledge and understanding; positive values, including respect for gender equality, diversity, and human rights; and attitudes and skills that contribute to safe, healthy, and positive relationships

REFERENCE

1.Reproductive and Sexual Health Problems of Adolescent Girls in Kenya: A Challenge to the Church.(Reproductive and Sexual Health Problems of Adolescent Girls in Kenya: A Challenge to the Church on JSTOR)

2.Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa: who is left behind.(Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa: who is left behind? | BMJ Global Health

3. Sexual’ education signed off in Zambia (‘Sexual’ education signed off – Zambia Daily Mail (daily-mail.co.zm)

Africa and MENA are experiencing the largest youth population ever in its history entering childbearing age of 14 or less, with adolescents constituting more than one-quarter of the total population. Teenage pregnancy rate stands at 28% and about 42% of girls are married by age 16; while an estimated 30% of maternal deaths are a result of unsafe abortions, of which 80% are among adolescent girls. Weak supportive legal policy and less accountability by most government at the local or district level on sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls and young women has caused the above problem

Therefore, the direct beneficiaries will be adolescent girls themselves and their parents. The school managers PTA, community leaders, and religious will also benefit through the increase of knowledge .

The girl child will be able to complete school and have decent work to support herself ,parents and community 

Africa and MENA are experiencing the largest youth population ever in its history entering childbearing age of 14 or less, with adolescents constituting more than one-quarter of the total population. Teenage pregnancy rate stands at 28% and about 42% of girls are married by age 16; while an estimated 30% of maternal deaths are a result of unsafe abortions, of which 80% are among adolescent girls. Weak supportive legal policy and less accountability by most government at the local or district level on sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls and young women has caused the above problem

Therefore, the direct beneficiaries will be adolescent girls themselves and their parents. The school managers PTA, community leaders, and religious will also benefit through the increase of knowledge. 

1. Through awareness workshops by a group of young girls formerly abused to share their experiences 

2. Capacity building for young girls 

3. Lobby and advocate with community leaders, school managers, parents 

Adolescents have a need for Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as they transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents undergo a number of physical, emotional, and social changes. My Studies demonstrate that they are often unprepared for these changes. For example, substantial numbers of girls in many African countries have knowledge gaps and misconceptions about menstruation that cause fear and anxiety and leave them unprepared when they begin menstruating. Similarly, critical gaps in knowledge exist among adolescent girls, especially in Africa and Asia, about where to obtain and how to use a range of modern contraceptive methods. Additionally, although comprehensive knowledge about HIV has increased, only around 1 in 3 young men and women aged 15–24 years from African countries surveyed between 2011 and 2016 had comprehensive knowledge on how to prevent HIV  transmission. Adolescents need knowledge and skills to make well-informed choices about their lives, learn how to avoid and deal with problems, and know where to seek help if necessary. .CSE can help adolescents to develop knowledge and understanding; positive values, including respect for gender equality, diversity and human rights; and attitudes and skills that contribute to safe, healthy, and positive relationships.

Frank talk between parents, especially mothers and girls child will develop good understanding since in Zambia it is not acceptable for parents to talk about sexual education, hence the innovative is to build friendly talk between mother and children and later advocate with community leaders religious leaders school managers to accept that this problem can only be solved if girls child learns about sexual education in time.So innovative is to increase awareness provide one-to-one capacity building and later lobby and advocate with community leaders. Will also increase the project awareness through digital awareness by creating whataaps group of 20 group of girls through this planform girls will be freely sharing information, and mothers also will be allowed to join to give advice to the young girls. Cartons will be published and shared on the groups 

These negative health outcomes then lead to poor school attendance, low academic performance, high repetition rates, and high rates of dropout., only 50 percent reach grade twelve, and only 39 percent complete secondary schooling. Forty-two percent of the girls in the study cited Such inadequate and ineffective teaching of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues leave young people and girls in particular vulnerable to negative health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. For example, has found worrying HIV prevalence rates among girls and young women. Among the 15 to 19-year-old females straddling both schooling and university education, the HIV prevalence was estimated to be 8 times that of their male counterparts. In relation to pregnancies, a recent review by Samantha Willan found that, even though Zambia has experienced a decline in teenage fertility in recent years, rates of pregnancy are still high at 30 percent among 15 to 19 age.

The evidence cited above suggests that negative health outcomes, particularly unplanned pregnancies, make it difficult for girls to persevere and complete secondary school. What is lacking is research into whether SRH education and in particular, one that takes into consideration the socio-cultural norms that subordinate girls and render them unable to access and use such knowledge to make decisions about their SRH, would improve their persistence and completion of secondary education

Therefore the impact is that they be less teen pregnant and early forced marriage and an increase in girl children completing education plus an increase in knowledge by community readers and religious leaders on sexual health rights. 

The project  will recommend the promotion and distribution of male and female condoms targeting adolescents and young people, through social marketing, social media platforms, and mass media.

The parents especially mothers will need to have Franky talk with their adolescent girls to spread messages on reproductive health rights to young girls so that they can demand for their rights promote accountability from their leaders and prevent having an early baby like me and other millions of girls.

During my research, I noted that the evidence-based approach can influence, facilitate, and promote social accountability to achieve health outcomes among adolescent girls. There is a need for African nationals to build the capacity of peer educators to demand accountability and an improved supply of family planning services in established youth-friendly centers in rural areas and district levels. To increase the awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights to millions of adolescent girls sex education should be introduced in schools at an early age, which recently was denied by the Zambian community due to past culture and religious beliefs.

5 project officers

one year

Will have parents both mother and fathers, PTA ,teachers,religous leaders both male and female and health staff plus community leaders from both genders will benefit from the projects 

To have a project impact will work with local MP and schools in matero community lusaka zambia and work with ten schools that will provide capacity building to 500 adolescents girls and support them with some materials.Will also have workshops with parents and community leaders.Looby and advocate workshops will be held with community leaders, MP and religious leaders 

Digital awareness via WhatsApp groups will be used 

Natasha will be atteding an international coference in the UK/Europe  and present the paper on :Advocating the Implementation of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Education for Adolescent girls in Africa”  through this will attract more donor for the project