Youth Policy Dialogue on SRHR and SGBV – Bono East Region
On behalf of AfriYAN Ghana, Renel Ghana Foundation, in partnership with UNFPA Ghana and PPAG, organized a Youth Policy Dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Sexual and Gender‑Based Violence (SGBV). The dialogue created a multi‑stakeholder platform to address teenage pregnancy, harmful practices, and gaps in youth protection systems.
Purpose
- Empower youth leaders to contribute to policy discussions on SRHR and SGBV.
- Engage traditional and religious authorities in promoting adolescent protection and ending harmful practices.
- Strengthen collaboration between state institutions and communities for youth‑friendly services.
- Identify policy gaps and propose actionable solutions to safeguard adolescents.
Activities delivered
- Dialogue sessions: interactive discussions on teenage pregnancy, harmful practices, and youth protection gaps.
- Stakeholder engagement: participation of youth leaders, traditional and religious authorities, and state institutions.
- Policy proposals: recommendations for strengthening youth‑friendly services and safeguarding systems.
- Community actions: commitments to improve awareness, accountability, and service delivery at the local level.
Participants and roles
- Youth leaders: shared experiences and proposed solutions for adolescent protection.
- Traditional and religious authorities: provided cultural and moral perspectives to support change.
- State institutions: contributed policy insights and committed to strengthening accountability.
- Renel Ghana Foundation, UNFPA Ghana, PPAG: coordinated and facilitated the dialogue under AfriYAN Ghana.
Outcomes and next steps
- Longer term: integrate youth voices into national SRHR and SGBV policy frameworks.
- Immediate outcomes: consensus on the need to strengthen youth‑friendly services and safeguard adolescents.
- Short term: document and share policy recommendations with relevant ministries and agencies.
- Medium term: pilot community‑level interventions addressing teenage pregnancy and harmful practices.
