YOUTH ACTION MOVEMENT OF PPAG (YAM-GH) CELEBRATES 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY: ADVOCATES SUPPORT FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN GHANA

To All Media House
For Immediate Release
YOUTH ACTION MOVEMENT OF PPAG (YAM-GH) CELEBRATES 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY: ADVOCATES SUPPORT FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN GHANA
24th July, 2023.
Youth Action Movement Ghana (YAM-Gh) was formed in 2003 as the youth wing of Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG). YAM-Gh constitutes young volunteers aged 10-24 years who share in the vision of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana to advocate for and on behalf of young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and other challenges facing the youth in Ghana. The Movement is decentralized in its operations and operates in three (3) zones with a total of 20 branches and over 500 members across the country.
Having successfully endured the rather challenging cultural and socio-economic circumstances impacting its work, the Movement is today proud to celebrate two (2) decades of impactful activities under the Theme, “Two decades of Action; Fostering Youth leadership, partnership, and advocacy for SRHR and community development”. Over the period, YAM-Gh has provided education and requisite SRHR information and services to young people and the general population.
On the occasion the 20th Anniversary celebration, we call on the government to prioritise issues affecting the rights of young people especially child marriage by the Ministry of Finance funding the Domestic Violence and Victim support FUND established by the Ghanaian Government as is indicated in the DV Act 2007.
We also call on all stakeholders, including the Government, Civil Society Organizations, traditional and religious leaders, and the media, to work together to end SGBV in our communities and safeguard the rights and lives of adolescent and young girls.
YAM-Ghana over the years has implemented SRHR focused interventions at both local and national levels, that has contributed to improving the health and wellbeing of many Ghanaians especially young people. YAM-Ghana has served as a platform for young people to build their leadership skills, self-esteem, future carriers, and many other skills as well as platform for young people to meaningfully contribute to their community development and advocate for their rights. One of the major cankers being tackled currently by YAM-Gh is Child marriage, which is a form of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ghana has one of the highest rates of child marriage in West Africa, with about 21% of girls being married off before the age of 18. This practice has serious consequences on the health and well-being of girls, as well as their education and future-prospects.
To address this, YAM-Gh has been implementing programs to complement that of the Government of Ghana to end child marriage and other forms of SGBV in Ghana. YAM-GH in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) has been working with traditional and religious leaders, as well as community-based organizations, to sensitize communities on the dangers of child marriage and other SGBV, and the need to protect the rights of girls.
In addition to the above, YAM-GH recently embarked on a new community outreach called the Community Cops Program where members of the Movement were deployed into communities to identify issues faced by the Ghanaian Youth and facilitate possible solutions. As part of the findings from this program implemented in selected districts, SGBV still remains a major challenge faced by Ghanaian Youth especially women and girls. More needs to be done to address the root causes of SGBV, notable among them are poverty, climate change, gender inequality, and harmful cultural practices.
We urge the public urged to swiftly report cases of SGBV to the authorities, the PPAG YENKASA toll free line on 0800202010 or the Orange Support Centre on 0800111222 and to support victims of these crimes. We must all work together to create a safe and secure environment for women and girls in Ghana.
For more information; contact us via our social media handles Facebook: @YAMGHANA Instagram: @YAMGHANA. Twitter: @YAMGHANA. Join the action. Protect the future.
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Aliu Iddrisu
(President-YAM-Ghana)