One of the most formative years in a girl’s life occurs during adolescence. From girlhood to womanhood, primary to secondary, and tertiary, and from education to family life, it’s a time of many transitions. There are a number of issues that girls face during this time, they include; increased levels of gender-based violence and abuse such as sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, decreased educational opportunities due to teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortion, and in the worst-case scenarios even death.
Lack of quality information, capacity building, counseling, and mentoring often resort in poor development for the girl child, which in turn hampers development in many countries, leaving them with less access to opportunities and less power over their own destiny. Restrictions on access to education and opportunities for women’s health and well-being perpetuate a generational cycle of poverty. It is imperative that we invest in the girl child by conceiving and implementing strategic programs that promote their growth, health, and well-being.
Safe space is a place where people can be themselves without fear of being harassed, bullied, or otherwise harmed, and where they can express themselves without fear of being judged or ridiculed. For girls, safe spaces are especially important because they provide a welcoming and empowering setting to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for a bright future.
Our PAVE for Girls program which is to be implemented in two local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos state: Ikorodu and Lekki, will engage and empower the girl child. Due to the fact that the primary health facilities in the project locations are most times not youth-friendly, this may create a barrier to access sexual and reproductive health care services and may lead to increased unfavorable outcomes such as pregnancy at a young age. We solicit the participation and cooperation of girls, educational institutions, and other important community organizations (including community leaders).
viding access to resources (human and information) on mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls is one of our project’s main goals. It also aims to empower girls to make their own decisions and take advantage of opportunities by providing life-skills training, mentorship, and information on financial literacy and vocational training.
Please visit our website, hacey.org, for additional information on the PAVE for Girls Project.
Written By:
Michael Adegboye
