Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Tubah Sub-division have called on the council to make their needs a clear priority in its annual budget, with a focus on menstrual health, safe spaces, and greater participation in local decision-making.
The appeal was presented during a council session by Luzette Kuwung, Executive Director of the Youth Empowerment and Resilience Network (YEARN), on behalf of adolescent girls and young women from conflict-affected communities.
Luzette Kuwung said girls continue to face serious barriers, including interrupted education, limited access to menstrual hygiene services, exposure to violence, and few opportunities to influence decisions affecting their lives.
She urged the council to allocate resources for affordable or free sanitary pads for vulnerable girls, girl-friendly toilets and handwashing facilities in schools and public spaces, as well as menstrual health education to tackle stigma and keep girls in school.
“Menstruation should never stop a girl from learning, leading, or achieving her dreams,” the advocacy message said.
An advocacy drive was presented during the session by Awah Solange, an AGYW from Big Babanki where she joined her voice with YEARN Executive Director to call for the creation of safe spaces where they can access mentorship, leadership training, psychosocial support, and livelihood skills.
They further urged the council to establish a Municipal Adolescent Girls and Young Women’s Advisory Forum and ensure that girls are consulted on community development plans, budgeting, and other decisions that affect them.
“Decisions about us should include us,” they said, stressing that the experiences and ideas of young women can contribute to a stronger and more peaceful community.
Luzette Kuwung said the girls are ready to work with the council as partners in building a municipality where every adolescent girl and young woman is safe, healthy, educated, empowered, and heard.
The advocacy forms part of a YEARN project funded by the Her Voice Fund, aimed at strengthening the capacity of adolescent girls and young women to speak up, advocate for their rights, and participate in decision-making spaces. The project is being implemented in Finge, Big Babanki, Bambui, and Bambili.
@Laarry Times
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