Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has called for partnership with Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s administration to sensitise Anambra State on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) challenges.
They also called on institutions, civil society organisations, and the media to join forces in the enlightenment campaign across communities in the state.
WARDC made this call in Awka on Wednesday during a roundtable discussion with grassroots women associations, civil society organisations, and other thought leaders to brainstorm on violence against women and girls, harmful practices, and women’s and girls’ access to sexual and health rights. The event was organised by WARDC in partnership with the Centre for Reproductive Rights and Canada.
Speaking during the meeting, which was attended by community women who are leaders of civil society organisations, religious groups, and other organisations across Anambra State, founding director of WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, implored the government and other health partners to show zero tolerance towards gender-based violence in the state.
She stressed the need for traditional and community leaders in Anambra State to actively participate in the campaign against rape, which often leads to unwanted pregnancies and other gender-based violence. She noted that community sanctions to discourage rape and rapists would help address gender-based violence, especially at the grassroots level.
“To address the issue,” Akiyode-Afolabi said, “there must be a coordinated response that will leave no one behind. There must be much more partnership between CSOs, government, and the private sector. The government must show zero tolerance towards these challenges.”
She further stated that if implemented, the partnership would create an avenue for WARDC to stage an aggressive sensitisation campaign to that effect.
Akiyode-Afolabi, who participated virtually, commended the state government for ensuring a conducive environment for the one-day brainstorming session.
The WARDC Head of Programme, Mrs Emmanuela Azo, in her welcome speech, noted that the lack of information on SRHR is causing significant problems in Nigeria.
According to her, the brainstorming session with relevant stakeholders on sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls will be a long-term project in the state.
She said that during the period, WARDC will be obtaining feedback from its newly inaugurated supervisory committee to assess the availability of SRHR services in the state and determine how existing policies can be improved.
Azo explained that SRHR is a very broad topic with many interconnected aspects. She emphasised that the inability to discuss SRHR has led not only Anambra but the entire country into serious problems, which necessitated the need for sensitisation efforts in Anambra, Osun, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Akwa Ibom states, where stop guidelines have been implemented.
She stated that WARDC decided to organise the one-day roundtable discussion with relevant stakeholders to deliberate on the progress of SRHR (2020-2025) and address the consequences of silence on these issues in the state.
She stressed that one of the project’s primary goals is to change people’s mindset and understanding of SRHR while reducing death rates linked to SRHR in Anambra.
She added that another key objective of the project is to ensure that people in Anambra State have access to accurate information on SRHR and services, especially women, girls, and men.
Azo explained that WARDC is not against teaching abstinence in sexual activities for youths or family planning but warned that it is counterproductive to teach sexually active young people solely about abstinence.
She urged stakeholders to promote proper education on the reasons behind abstinence rather than merely advocating for it, ensuring that younger individuals understand the importance of informed choices.
She noted that the newly inaugurated supervisory committee would work collaboratively with government health officers in various council areas to create more awareness about SRHR stop guidelines. She described stop guidelines as legal frameworks that protect women’s sexual and reproductive health, particularly women who become pregnant under forced circumstances, while also reducing the high rate of unsafe abortions in states that have implemented the policies, such as Anambra State.
Mrs Azo commended the state government for implementing the stop guidelines policy.
One of the participants, Prince Chris Azor, who spoke on behalf of other participating CSOs, urged the organisers to extend the sensitisation campaign to men, noting that the burden of pregnancy should not be shouldered by women alone.
Azor also urged the state government to assist in equipping healthcare facilities in rural areas and assured the organisation that CSOs in the state would fully support the project to achieve its set goals.
The discussion was facilitated by the Coordinator of the Anambra State Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Prof Ifeanyichukwu Ezebialu.
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