The Young Girls Dreams on Threats
Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights with attention to contraceptive use has been a constant agenda to adolescents and young people on how best the services and information have been conveyed to ensure everyone has access to their sexual and reproductive needs. Tanzania has been struggling to ensure every Adolescents girl and Young Women (AGYW) has access to the services, rights, and information through different actions/initiatives that have been made with the government and Civil Society Organizations.
Nonetheless, young people still encounter challenges regarding SRHR and the situation becomes worse after the ascending and spread of corona virus which induces COVID-19. The United Nation Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency (UNFPA) estimates that six months of lock downs could lead to 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence, and an additional 15 million more cases for every three months if the lock down continues. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS accounts about 80% of all of all new HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women between the ages of 15–24 in Tanzania.
The outbreak of COVID 19 threatened the position of many young girls and women within a community with regard to their access and needs of contraceptive services and information. It has been reported recently there is an increase in teenage pregnancies in our community. The ascending of COVID 19 has mounted a girl child and young women into a threatening situation with regard to their sexuality, reproductive rights, health, and beyond. It is undeniable fact that COVID 19 has brought more miseries to Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in different ways and it is about time to re-think and re-strategize how best we can maximize the protection to this group so as they reach their potential. Sustainable Development Goals number 3, Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)Ministerial Commitments, and Africa We Want Agenda to ensure each and everyone especially young people have access to better health and sustainable well being and leaving no one behind.
COVID 19 has taught us a good lesson, that we really need to re-strategize our investments on girls and re-think beyond our normal circumstances and we should be prepared to battle at any time with regard to what is happening now. We need to stand bolder than before on how best to combat the current situation and get ready for any other in the future. This will ensure no life is being threatened at any circumstance and everyone can be freer and achieve our potentials to the fullest.
The protection, prevention, and care of services to Adolescent Girls and Young Women should be prioritized to the max level where everyone can be safe to exercise and make choices of their own. The protection starts with them by knowing their rights. It is more important to engage boys and young men in this fight to make it easy for them to stand for the rights of adolescent girls and young women when necessary. It’s a call to all my fellow advocates to highly invest in the knowledge and skills that young girls and women, as well as boys and young men, need to necessary position them to be the foundation of their own decision and choices and NOT taken CHANCES that can hinder them not to reach to their full potentials.
“The reproductive rights of women and girls are not up for negotiation and we shall protect and uphold them! We will do it because the Sustainable Development Goals depend upon it. We will do it because we cannot hope to end poverty and achieve peace and prosperity until every woman and girl can live in full equality, with dignity and respect. We will do it because strengthening our societies, growing our economies, and importantly, combating climate change — all depend upon women and girls taking control over their bodies, their choices, and their futures.” — Dr. Natalia Kanem, Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director, UNFPA
