Lady Julia inaugurates paralegal association at Bipoa

Bipoa (Ash), Sept 19, GNA- Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene, on Friday inaugurated the first ever Paralegal Association in the Ashanti Region at Bipoa in the Afigya-Sekyere District of Ashanti.

The Paralegal Association, which is a Federation of African Women Lawyers Association (FIDA) and African Youth Alliance (AYA), adolescent reproductive rights project.

It aims at training community leaders like youth and traditional leaders, health care providers and teachers who have basic knowledge in law, to help identify and address adolescent reproductive rights issues such as rape, defilement, incest, school drop out and teenage pregnancy. The 38 members of the association are trained in children's rights, women's rights, human rights, violence against women, inheritance rights, HIV/AIDS as well as reproductive rights under international and national laws.

They are to act as referral points where adolescent problems can be received and referred to relevant legal agencies for redress.

Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of Bipoa to inaugurate the association, Lady Osei Tutu said the paralegal training in Ashanti has come at an opportune time when adolescents' right to privacy and confidentiality in seeking information and services are virtually non-existent in the region.

She said though one could say that adolescents have high levels of awareness of the HIV/AIDS they lack a high level of correct knowledge about the disease and its risk factors.

Lady Osei Tutu said the training and involvement of young people as peer educators will ensure that programmes, activities, information and services are appropriate and relevant to young persons.

She commended FIDA for selecting five districts in the Ashanti Region for the project and urged members of the association to give adolescents access to accurate information and education regarding sex and reproductive health.

Nana Oye Lithur, project Co-ordinator, said under the project, 20 paralegal associations will be formed in 20 districts in the country. She said due to the fact that female adolescents and women are the most vulnerable in matters of sex and HIV/AIDS, FIDA Ghana will focus on females in its advocacy programmes, adding that, queenmothers and chiefs are also be targeted for paralegal training.

Mr Ben Abankwa, Afigya-Sekyere District Chief Executive, said the assembly will support the paralegals to enable them to perform their duties effectively.