By:Mohamed M. Sesay
During the 10th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights organized by the African Federation for Sexual Health and Rights hosted by Purposeful Sierra Leone in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone, the Minister of Youth Affairs Mohamed Orman Bangura, made a clarion call for all state actors across Africa to put tougher measures in place in ensuring that the rights of vulnerable youth especially girls are protected. The theme for the conference is;
“Accelerating the Elimination of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Africa.”
In his statement at the Bintumani Conference Center in Freetown, the Youth Minister also called on African leaders to listen to the voices of young people and invest in them in ensuring that youth become part of all decision-making processes. He added that it is very time to carry the voices of young people forward to the United Nations Summit in September wherein, leaders will review progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
In his statement, UN Resident Coordinator Babatunde Ahonsi confessed that the 10th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights provides a timely opportunity for all stakeholders to rethink and renew the commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals in particular Goal 5 which talks about achieving Gender Equality and Empowering all Women and Girls.
He added that the theme “Accelerating the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence in Africa” is a call to action for stakeholders to reinvigorate their efforts to ensure sexual health and rights of all and in particular, to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence.
He furthered that the conference also requires collective action by People, including youth, civil society, the media, the private sector and other stakeholders, to see the need to generate an unstoppable movement pushing for the required transformation.
Across Africa, he said the continent needs to build stronger partnerships, mobilize more resources, and provide innovative and sustainable solutions to address sexual and gender-based violence. “In our respective countries, we have to embed the needed transitions in the policies, budgets, institutions, and regulatory frameworks of governments, while ensuring that the most vulnerable, including women and girls are protected and empowered”, he said.
In her statement, the Vice President of Liberia, H. E. Chief Dr Jewel Howard Taylor, noted that the conference is expected to assess the gains made and highlight the remaining gaps in the fight to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence across Africa.
She added that the conference is also in expectant that at the end of these 3 days; there would be a more robust platform which redeems the Continent of this menace which continues to strip the Africa Continent of its brightest minds and deny the Continent the fullest participation of 50% of its Human Resources.
