By: Nwangwu Eudora Ogechukwu
In Nigeria, there is a high level of social injustice and violations of the fundamental human rights of vulnerable groups, especially women.[1] Women, in general, are disproportionately affected by poverty, HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence; sexual and reproductive rights abuses and limited access to information and basic health and legal services[2]. Adolescent's girls and young women (AGYW) face double stigma of being a woman and dealing with age of consent too. With the effect of Covid-19, many adolescents and young women experience sexual violence, there is high rate of teenage pregnancy which is as a result of no access to information around contraceptives and family planning. This issue has led to death as most of these young girls' resort to quack nurses for unsafe abortion.
Silent voices conducted a focus group discussion across the 6 geopolitical zones, we realize that 75% of adolescents and young girls have no knowledge about mensural cycle, 10% have the basic idea. We recommended an innovative way of teaching AGYW on how to count their mensural cycle using colorful beads.
BEADING OUR FUTURE (BOF) was born out of passion to teach AGYW how to count mensural cycle using colorful beads, so far, due to limited resources, we are able to coach 10 AGYW on how to bead their future, and these young women will serve as influencers in their respective communities. There is a need to extend this knowledge down to AGWY in rural areas no help keep our young women safe.
[1]British Council Nigeria. Gender in Nigeria Report 2012: Improving the Lives of Girls and Women in Nigeria. 2012. Available from http://www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Publications/?c=NG. Accessed on March 3, 2013
[2] US Department of State Nigeria Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2011. Available from http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper. Accessed on March 3, 2013.
