Following a program of sensitization for them, 70 tricycle riders—known locally as pragya—from seven districts in the Central region vowed to support the promotion of awareness of sexual and gender-based issues as well as reproductive health issues.

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Kweku Sam, the chairman of the Riders Union, stated that the choice was made with the members' health and wellbeing in mind.

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The riders made the commitment following a sensitization training held by the National Youth Authority on Thursday with assistance from the Central Regional Coordinating Council and the United Nations Population Fund.

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They were drawn from the Assin South, Ekumfi, Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem, Upper Denkyira West, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira and Cape Coast districts.

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Culprits

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Various fora on teenage pregnancy in the Central region have indicted the tricycle riders as one group of people impregnating the teenage girls.

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The workshop organizers took the riders through topics including sexually transmitted diseases, abortion teenage pregnancy and it’s effects and domestic violence.

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Another rider, Francis Ackah said many riders were living risky because they did not understand the dangers.

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“Now we have been educated and made ambassadors to educate the others,” he stated.

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He indicated that some of them were engaged in risky sexual behaviors because they were oblivious of the dangers.

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He called for more of such fora for the members to help reduce promote healthy sexual behaviors among the riders.

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SRH education essential

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The Central Regional Director of the NYA, Archibald Donkoh in his remarks said sexual reproductive health remained an essential aspect of our lives that is often not given the attention and priority it deserved.

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He said sexual education should therefore be a fundamental right for our youth, as it could lead to of well-informed decisions that affect their health and well-being adding that workshop's focus on sexual reproductive education was critical in creating an environment that nurturer young people and supported their potential.

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Gender equity

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He also called for need to ensure gender equity and remove gender-based violence.

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“We must also tackle gender-based violence, which often goes unchecked in many circumstances. We need to create an environment that encourages gender equity, where the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender, are respected and upheld. At such a time, we must collaborate to develop interventions that protect women and men equally, and provide the necessary support and resources to survivors of gender-based violence,” he added.

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Mr Donkoh urged all including parents, teachers, community leaders, and policymakers alike to play their roles in ensuring that the communities were safe and healthy places for young people by helping to develop proactive policies, programs, and interventions that could protect the health and wellbeing of our young people.

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Safety first

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A programmed officer with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), MichaelTagoe who took the participants through sexually transmitted diseases advised them to think safety first and adopt responsible sexual lifes.

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