The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Keta municipality of the Volta Region has launched a public education campaign on adolescent health, gender equality, and gender-based violence.
The initiative, targeted at empowering communities and youth with knowledge and skills to promote healthier and safer environments for all.
Madam Linna Elinam Bensah, the NCCE Director at Keta, during a routine public engagement at Abor, said that the campaign was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to involve stakeholders’ engagements, visit identifiable groups, and mass sensitisation through radio stations, district community information centers, and mobile van broadcasts.
“According to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2022), 15 per cent of adolescent girls aged 15-19 have ever been pregnant, which highlighted the need for urgent action.
“The NCCE seeks to address this issue by engaging men and boys as allies in preventing gender-based violence and promoting positive masculinity,” she said.
She explained that the campaign’s objectives included empowering adolescent girls with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health and rights, promoting gender equality, and preventing gender-based violence.
Madam Bensah said the NCCE was collaborating with local government, traditional and religious leaders, service providers, and civil society organisations to achieve the targeted goals to promote adolescent health, gender equality and prevent gender-based violence in various societies.
“Our public engagements involve discussions on adolescent pregnancy prevention, family planning, and addressing myths and stigma around adolescent health. We will visit identifiable and targeted adolescent girls and boys, to provide them with information on sexual and reproductive health and promoting positive relationships,” she said.
She said the mass sensitisation campaign would utilise radio discussions, jingles, and community information centers to reach a wider audience, and the NCCE would also conduct mobile van broadcasts to extend messaging to remote and underserved areas.
She said the campaign was expected to benefit communities across the municipality to promote a culture of respect, equality, and safety for all and that the initiative would contribute to a significant reduction in gender-based violence and adolescent pregnancies in the area.
The initiative was part of the 8th Country Programme (2023-2027) and aimed to engage at least 500 individuals per district while the NCCE and partners would document airtime logs, listener feedback, and call-in participation to assess the campaign’s impact.
Madam Bensah said the success of the campaign would depend on the active involvement of community members, stakeholders, and partners and the NCCE and UNFPA would continue to urge all Ghanaians to support the move and work towards creating a safer and healthier society for all.
She told the Ghana News Agency that, the Keta NCCE office had already begun engaging with stakeholders and identifiable groups, receiving positive feedback and enthusiasm for the campaign.
“Our office plans to intensify its efforts and reach out to more communities and individuals to ensure the success of this vital initiative,” she said.
Madam Bensah stressed on that the campaign had focused on adolescent health, gender equality, and gender-based violence was timely, given the current state of affairs in Ghana and the NCCE and UNFPA were committed to make a difference and create a brighter future for every individual.
Mr Fianyor James, a residents of Abor said that the NCCE’s efforts were commendable, and it was hoped that the initiative would inspire other benevolent organisations and individuals to join the fight against gender-based violence and adolescent pregnancies.
He said the campaign was an important step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly good health and Well-being, gender equality, and reduced inequalities.
GNA also gathered that the NCCE and UNFPA were working tirelessly to ensure the success of the campaign within the Municipality, and the efforts were expected to have a lasting impact on many communities in the area.