WomenRise, a collaborative research project funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and being implemented in Ghana by the Northern Empowerment Association (NEA) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has shared the findings of its research project with stakeholders in Accra.
The project assessed the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 on adolescent girls and young women in mining communities in the Savannah and Bono East Regions and has developed actionable solutions to aid their recovery.
Using findings from the study, the researchers and community members co-designed interventions to enhance the resilience of Adolescents, Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sectors in Ghana.
In Ghana, thirty girls from small-scale mining communities participated in financial literacy training and other economic interventions, which included starting small businesses, tailoring, and hairdressing.
Participants were also supported to open accounts with a local cooperative bank to provide safe places for their money and access funds to expand their businesses.
WomenRise and the Ghana Health Service have also introduced mobile Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) clinics in project communities to assist young girls and women in addressing issues related to their reproductive and sexual health.
These mobile clinics offer young girls and women screening, treatment, or referrals for confirmed cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), distribution of contraceptives, and adolescent-friendly counselling sessions conducted by trained nurses.
These interventions are to assist these AGYW to cope during pandemics such as COVID-19 while identifying and implementing strategies to enhance their resilience in future emergencies.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
