Adolescent girls in Adamawa call for more safe spaces, empowerment
As part of activities marking this year’s World Adolescent Week, adolescent girls in Adamawa State have renewed calls for increased investment in safe spaces, empowerment initiatives, and adolescent-friendly health services across the 21 local government areas of the state.
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The appeal was made during an interactive session organized under the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) project, jointly implemented by the EU, UNICEF, and the Adamawa State Government.
Speaking during the event which was attended by no fewer than 32 adolescent girls, Egla Dauda, the Adamawa State Adolescent Team Lead, emphasized the urgent need to create more safe spaces for adolescent girls in health facilities.
According to her, such spaces would allow young girls to speak freely about their health and personal challenges without fear of discrimination or stigmatization.
“Most of our health facilities lack dedicated spaces for adolescents, especially for pregnant girls who often feel judged when they try to seek help. Creating safe spaces in every local government area will make it easier for adolescent girls to access care and counseling confidently,” she said.
Egla also called on the state government to empower young girls economically to reduce their vulnerability to exploitation and deprivation. She identified menstrual hygiene as one of the major challenges facing adolescents in rural communities, urging for support in the local production of reusable sanitary pads.
“If girls are empowered to make reusable pads, life will be much easier for them. It will reduce infection rates and teenage pregnancies,” she added.
The young advocate praised UNICEF and other partners for their support through the SARAH project, which, she noted, had provided a platform for adolescents to engage policymakers and express issues affecting their health and wellbeing.
“As adolescents, we should not be idle. We should speak with courage, because that is the only way our voices will be heard,” she said.
In his presentation, Oluseyi Olosunde, a Health Officer with UNICEF, explained that the SARAH project aims to strengthen policies and systems that improve access to reproductive health and rights for adolescents, women, and children.
He revealed that Adamawa is one of three Nigerian states benefiting from the four-year EU-funded initiative.
“The main objectives of the SARAH project are to strengthen policy frameworks on reproductive and adolescent health, improve access to quality adolescent-friendly services, and promote the use of data for planning and service delivery,” Olosunde said.
He added that the program seeks to make health facilities more inclusive by integrating multiple services, ranging from menstrual hygiene and mental health to HIV prevention and substance abuse counseling, under a “one-stop shop” approach.
To address menstrual hygiene challenges, Olosunde disclosed that UNICEF and its partners plan to empower adolescent girls in every local government area to produce reusable menstrual pads using locally available materials.
“We are targeting girls in rural areas who are often the poorest of the poor. By training and equipping them, we not only improve hygiene but also create small-scale economic opportunities,” he said.
Olosunde also commended the Adamawa State Government for developing a youth policy that tackles harmful cultural practices and promotes adolescent access to information and services.
He stressed the importance of integrating digital tools to engage young people and enhance data-driven decision-making.
Similarly, Steven Sunday Maina, a staff of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (ASPHCDA) highlighted efforts to make health facilities more adolescent-friendly.
He said the state, with the support of the SARAH project, has trained 309 health workers to provide adolescent-focused care and established one-stop shops in five local government areas.
“We are creating safe spaces in our health facilities where adolescents can feel welcome and respected, Some of our trained health workers are adolescents themselves, so their peers can easily relate to them and discuss their issues freely,” he said.
He identified stigmatization as a major barrier preventing adolescents particularly pregnant girls from accessing healthcare.
“If health workers are not properly trained, their attitudes can discourage young people from visiting health facilities. We are working to change that through counseling and rehabilitation programs that build confidence and support both adolescents and their families,” he added.
Maina added that while much attention is given to girls, boys are also part of the SARAH program’s focus, especially regarding substance abuse, peer influence, and mental health.
