A non-governmental organisation, Stand With A Girl (SWAG) Initiative, has partnered with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and promote Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) for young people in university campuses and surrounding communities in Kaduna State.
The project, “Campus Unites for SRH” (CUFS), aims to enhance SRH awareness, education, and services for adolescent girls and young women.
Speaking at a workshop in Zaria, Margaret Bolaji-Adegbola, the Executive Director of SWAG, emphasised the urgent need for intervention, citing that 30% of girls aged 15-19 have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.
She also highlighted a global gap in SRH services, stating that 4.3 billion people of reproductive age worldwide lack adequate access to SRH care at some point in their lives.
Bolaji-Adegbola pointed to limited sexual health education, poor decision-making among youth, and inadequate policy support as key contributors to the problem.
The CUFS project, she explained, is designed to empower young women to make informed choices about their health, leading to better outcomes in gender equality, economic development, and overall well-being.
In his remarks, Dr Emmanuel Gana, Head of the Theatre and Performing Arts department at ABU, emphasised the importance of capacity building and knowledge enhancement in the university’s academic programmes.