Chiefs Drilled in Sexual Reproductive Health Rights

Chiefs have been tipped to champion SRHR Chiefs have been tipped to champion SRHR - pic by Steve Kalungwe

In a bid to ensure that young people and the adolescents are demanding their sexual reproductive health rights, a local organization has drilled chiefs in these rights so that they champion the cause.

The organisation, Network for Youth Development through the project manager for " Her Future Her Choice, Sekanawo Mwatibu says chiefs must be in the forefront in popularizing reproductive health rights in a bid to curb unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and teen marriages among others.

"We are training these chiefs in women sexual reproductive health rights because we want them to understand what they are fighting for and through that, we believe cases of teen marriages, pregnancies and abuse will be minimized", said Mwatibu.

In his remarks, Group village headman Nthyoka from the area of Traditional Authority Malili says the training will help them review their bylaws in a bid to give justice to children who in most cases does not get along with the bylaws.

"As chiefs we have agreed that fines given to offenders or abusers must not only go to the chiefs but to the child as well and also to the early childhood development centres to foster education, so we are proud of Network for Youth Development for this training", he said.

Allan Kessam, an assistant social welfare office in T/A Malili who trained the chiefs says the content of the training will enhence child protection in their community.

"Bylaws are important tool to protect children at community level as they address children needs directly but we need to do more awareness so that parents can be aware about the bylaws too", narrated Kessam.

Adding his voice, Group village headman Nthyoka from T/A Malili said, children especially those who are sexually active must seek heath care in a friendly environment so that they are able to finish school and avoid getting into early marriages as a result of unplanned pregnancies.

The Network for Youth Development activities are being rendered in Balaka and Lilongwe with the help of a consortium of FPAM, OXFAM and FNID.

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