Title : Advocating the implementation of sexual reproductive health rights education for adolescents girls in Africa
Abstract:
Introduction: I am a young Zambian lady aged 21, a medical doctor by profession. I am presenting this paper because I am a past victim of sexual abuse at the age of 13 and had a baby due lack of sex education which is affecting a lot of adolescent girls, in Africa and MENA. Most of the girls after having a baby at an early age end up dropping school and getting married. I am encouraging all adolescent girls who are having babies y to go back to school and continue their studies. I am a testimony to the adolescent girls who have passed through the problem of human rights abuse thus lack of sexual and reproductive health education which nearly cost my life.
Problem: 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. Due weak supportive legal policy and less accountability by most governments at the local or district level on sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls and young women have caused the above problems. During my research, I noted that 80% of the district development plans do not have the plan in place at the district -grass root level. The paper will provide information and recommendation on how to improve accountability and awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls at the district level.
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 be trained to have Franky talk with their adolescent girls to spread messages on reproductive health rights to young girls so that they can demand their rights promoting accountability from their leaders and preventing early babies like me.
During my research, I noted that the evidence-based approach can influence, facilitate and promote social accountability to achieve health outcomes among adolescent girls. They are a need for African and Mena national 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 adolescents’ sex education should be introduced in schools at an early age, which recently was denied by the Zambian community due to past culture believe.
Parents should look at education as the only weapon to fight future poverty for their families, especially the girl child. This paper will be willing to lobby and advocate to all African governments to ensure that budget spending towards the education of poor girl children is reasonable.
