An Associate Professor at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Juliana Yartey Enos has encouraged young people, especially girls not to allow societal norms and pressures to derail them from realizing their dreams and potentials.
She said as girls or even young women their focus should be on education or going securing employable skills and trades that will secure them a brighter future.
“Be mindful of the choices you make in life including early sex. Always remember that a compromise on one singular sexual act may kill your dream or progression in life, however, the antidote to this is for you to remain focused on your education,” she emphasized.
Prof. Yartey Enos gave the encouragement as a keynote speaker at the 2023 edition of the Northern Ghana Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) conference, taking place in Tamale under the auspices of Norsaac, a NGO with partners including Oxfam, Power to Youth, UNFPA and UNICEF among others.
Over 400 young people largely females are taking part in the four-day conference which is under the theme: “the future of adolescent girls and young women in Ghana; the threat of social norms and the confusion in policy on SRHR.”
According to Prof Enos, globally, change is taking place and at a faster pace. Such changes she stated are impacting lifestyle, technology and even knowledge for which young people should take advantage of the positives aspects to better their situations.
“More than ever before, we have seen an improvement in technology and it includes advancement in health. And even mobile phones devices which makes access to information easier and wider,” she said. Adding that; “your effort as young people to prevent teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortion and even HIV/Aids from infecting you, should be even stronger.”
She further admonished young people to know themselves and their passion. “You should take personal responsibility for your life by setting realistic and measurable goals and also identify mentors and role models to guide and help shape our actions.”
The Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof. Seidu Al-hassan who opened the conference, stressed on strong morals saying; “it isn’t enough to acquire educational certificates without being morally aware of yourselves as young people.”
According to the UDS Vice Chancellor, Health and developmental challenges which abound in Northern Ghana have corresponding negative impacts largely on females too. The conference therefore, Prof Seidu added was a necessity to helping shape the dialogue, as females lag behind as reflective of our national life.
A Board member of Norsaac, Dr. Cecilia Alimatu Issaka who is also a director at the UDS, said dreams of young people are being hampered by social norms and it was therefore a collective duty to ensuring an inclusive and more equitable society.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Executive Director of Norsaac, Mohamed Awal Alhassan said what was started in 2017 as a gathering of young people, to expose them to sexual and reproductive health issues namely teenage sex, unsafe abortions, HIV and Aids and other sex related infections among others, has also become an annual rallying point to share ideas, network and also create opportunities for young voices also to be heard and factored into the national dialogues.
He added that as one of the NGO leading and addressing capacity gaps in community health and schools systems, over 40,000 young people have been directly reached and empowered across northern Ghana.
A Retired academic and traditional ruler, Prof. Naa Nantogmah Yakubu chaired the opening session.
Story By: Nelson Adenuti Nyadror |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.
