Empowering Adolescent Girls Through Reproductive Health in Ghana

The Empowering Adolescent Girls Through Reproductive Health in Ghana joint programme builds on Phase I, which ran from 2018 to 2023, to close critical gaps in sexual and reproductive health education and services. Despite progress made, challenges remain, including weak policy implementation, adolescent pregnancy, barriers to youth-friendly health services, gender-based violence, and limited HIV prevention knowledge. Social taboos and traditional practices further restrict access to essential information and services. Phase II aims to build on past successes, ensuring adolescent girls, especially the most marginalized, can make informed health choices and transition safely into adulthood.

Funded by the Government of Canada, this UNFPA-UNICEF initiative will partner with existing governmental structures, agencies, local authorities and youth, running from 2024 to 2030. It will directly benefit 400,000 married and unmarried adolescent girls as direct beneficiaries across the regions of Volta, Ashanti, Eastern and North-East, with special attention given to migrant girls and girls with disabilities.

Key objectives of this programme include:

• Increasing the number of adolescent girls, including the most marginalized, making informed choices on sexual and reproductive health;
• Increasing the use of quality, adolescent-friendly, gender-responsive social, sexual and reproductive health services by adolescent girls;
• Increased access of adolescents to opportunities and resources to influence policies, financing, and public discourse in respect of their sexual reproductive health rights.

This initiative is working toward a future where all girls in Ghana can lead safe, healthy, and empowered lives.