UNICEF charges Imo girls to rise against sexual violence

From Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri

Girls in their adolescent age have been charged to be vocal and resist all forms of sexual violence and abuses no matter where it is coming from in order to safeguard their future.

United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Enugu Office gave the charge last Thursday during a 2-day training programme organized by Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, with the support of United Nations body.

The programme with the theme, “Life Skill Training To Young Girls(In and Out of School) To Enhance Their Capacities in Their Families and Communities” held at Umuezeala, headquarters of Ehime Mbano LGA of Imo State featured lectures on ‘Peer Education, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Life building Skills, Gender Issues, Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, and Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating Peer Education Programme’ among others.

UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Dr Ibrahim Conteh who was represented by Victor Atuchukwu, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, warned the participants not to succumb to pressure from adults of fellow teenagers who make unwholesome sexual overtures to to them under the guise of offering support or affection.

Conteh who bemoaned the level of moral decadence in today’s society enjoined the girls to always seek counsel from reasonable elders and experts, if in doubt of any issue about their sexual health and rights rather than allow their peers to mislead them.

He explained that the state government and  UNICEF are partnering to educate and arm the girls with requisite skills that would enable and empower them to rise to the menace of pervading sexual violence and abuses against girls and women in general.

The Chief of Enugu Field Office, disclosed that the programme was targeted at stopping voilence and unwholesome cultural practices against women especially adolescent girls.

He said, “After this training you are to become our Messengers among your peers and the larger community. You will be taught how to be vocal, resistant and defend yourself against all forms of gender based violence.”

Speaking earlier, Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, Lady Nkechi Ugwu while declaring the occasion open remarked that the participants should see it as a rare privilege and opportunity to be selected for the training and advised them to take advantage of the session to better their lives.

The Commissioner represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Barr. Lady Obiageli Amadi-Obi told the participants that they are expected to become better children in society and guide your peers who are not privileged to benefit from the training.

According to her, the idea of training young girls is anchored in the policy to catch them young before any damage is done.

UNICEF Resource Person, Mrs Rebecca Ugwuanya, in her paper presentation during the training cautioned the participants against risky behaviours that could lead them into missing their goals of becoming responsible women in future.

She advised them to abstain from  indulging in sexual intercourse as little girls in order to run away from teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortion sttressing that it could lead to untimely death.

Another resource person, Idara Effiong in her paper, insisted that if adolescents must have sex, it must not be  unprotected sex, pointing out that loose sex life can result in contracting sexually transmitted infections, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, child marriage and infertility in most cases.

Effiong described the training as an eye-opener for young girls to disabuse their minds of baseless myths that they were fed with overtime by self-styled unprofessional sexual and reproductive health advisors.

The Ehime Mbano LGA training session marked the end of the weeklong programme which took place in two council areas of Imo State.