FEDERATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION MOVES TO CURB SPREAD OF AIDS
By Brenda Osei Akoto, Kumasi

September 23, 2003 – (Ghanaian Chronicle - Accra) The rate of teenage pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases like the HIV/AIDS among adolescents in the country have been attributed to the lack of basic, reliable information about access to reproductive health services.

It has also been established that about 95% of adolescents share problems concerning their health sexual issues with their age groups instead of their parents or the elderly.

As a result most adolescents are normally fed with wrong information, which tend to create serious problems for them.

In a bid to deal with this situation, the Federation of Women Lawyers Association (FIDA) in collaboration of African Youth Alliance (AYA) has launched the first of a series of an Adolescent Reproductive Rights Project at Bepoa in the Afigya Sekyere District of Ashanti.

The objective of the project is to conduct intensive and extensive advocacy to generate increased awareness and support of laws and policies on adolescent sexual and reproductive rights in Ghana.

Under the project, 165 paralegals who are mainly youth leaders, traditional leaders, health care providers and teachers have been trained in Adolescent Sexual Reproductive health (ASRH) laws including children's rights, human rights, HIV/AIDS and violence against women to act as referral points within selected communities to identify ASRH problems and refer them to the relevant legal agencies in time for redress.

Nana Oye Lithur, a member of FIDA and the project coordinator noted that 20 districts with five coming from Ashanti have been selected in the
country to benefit from the project.

According to her the project has already conducted research in the area of human Rights, maternal mortality and the legal status of abortion in Ghana among others.

She stressed that a pilot study into implementation of the laws against rape, defilement, female genital mutilation and incest is being undertaken by the project at the District courts in Kumasi and Accra and the Women and Juvenile Units of the Ghana Police Service.

Nana Oye believed that the activities would strengthen capacity for ASRH policy formulation, revision, harmonization and implementation in Ghana.

Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II described as unfortunate that human rights of adolescents are being violated by preventable deaths, health problems, termination of education and other consequences.

She noted that the ASRH has a significant impact on the economic and educational opportunities of young people regarding their reproductive health needs, adding that it would shape the quality of life in the country for future generations.

Lady Julia urged urged the 38 paralegals in the district to assist the youth to appreciate the fact that the social developmental consequences of reproductive decisions have far reaching effects.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200309230616.html