Lack of Sex education blamed for girls and women’s poor reproductive health actions Team BAYA at the end of the dialogue session

By Bakah Derick 

The Nyanga health dialogue session with girl leaders in Bamenda has blamed the lack of sex education in families and other areas of society as the major reason behind some of the poor reproduction health decisions commonly taken by girls and women.

Organised Wednesday January 30 by the Bamenda based BAYA social enterprise, the Nyanga health dialogue expressed the need for everyone to provide safe spaces in homes and communities for conversations between parents and girls in what they christened “sexeduation.”

Participants at dialogue session in family picture

BAYA strives for "Sexducation" to break the silence in all forms of GBV and create a safe space for dialogue between parents and the growing girl child.

According to the Director of BAYA, many girls in Cameroon have little or no access to sex education as they grow to women. Yenjong Rita Buriya regrated that many parents still consider sexuality conversation as a taboo which maintains is not. With the mission to ensure that women get equal access to economic opportunities, Information Communication Technology, ICT and Healthcare services, the Director believes that BAYA is and will continue to amplify the voices of the many women and girls who face different challenges because of the absence of such knowledge.

The BAYA Nyanga Health Dialogue Session which featured presentations by Acha Zita and Yuh Gladys experts on Importance of Sexual Reproductive health (SRH) Education and Protection against Sexual Violence as well as the presentation of the Female Reproductive System gave room for experience sharing and practical knowledge sharing on how to go about the subject of sex education in homes and communities.

“To me BAYA is doing a great job in raising awareness on this very pertinent issue "sexual and reproductive health. They are targeting the foundation that is the parents which is very important as far as Sexual and reproductive health is concerned. I got more skills as a girl leader on how to approach the girls under my leadership on issues concerning their bodies and reproductive health.” Tan Ferghang a participant said

According to Pedmia Shatu another participant“It's a whole real and laudable concept, very educational and timely given that we live in a society where sexual harassment n violence against women is an everyday experience. If it doesn't operate in the house, it is likely to happen in the public spaces. With sessions like the Nyanga dialogue session it better arms the girl child and women with the"speak-out" and "break the silence" energy and it is very important because such stories have gone unreported. Nyanga dialogue session comes to create a conducive platform for survivors to complain.”

In a Facebook post after the dialogue session, BAYA authorities express satisfaction saying “We had a great and interactive dialogue session with young Girl leaders and Women role models within the Bamenda Municipality......Our goal is to keep HIV free adolescent girls, HIV free as they get into adulthood.

Team BAYA at the end of the dialogue session

 

Launched in June 2018, The Nyanga Health project sponsored by MTV Staying Alive according to the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Baya has featured the HIV/AIDS screening, dialogue sessions, training of girl leaders, and the distribution of Condoms and others.

With the mantra “BAYA for every woman”, the social enterprise hopes to with stories that inspire and Hope for internally displaced girls projects which are currently ongoing.