Medical institutions must act as safe spaces for girls

Denying access to young women seeking medical services unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian leaves them unprotected from negative social and economic factors, which can result from unsafe sexual practices.

 

“This denial of access then opens the floodgates for other problems which girls face such as rape, child abuse, transactional relationships and/or sexual assault to continue and not be addressed,” argued Secretary of the Youth Advocacy Movement Tamaira Rowe.

 

She highlighted that in the local 2006 Survey of Sexual Practices of Evangelical Youth, 20 percent of respondents said their sexual debut was because they were forced or pressured and that of those who said their first sexual experience was under the age of 12, 20 percent said it was with a family member, another 20 percent said a neighbour and eight percent said an extended family member.

 

“All these stats reinforce the fact that there is a need for more medical institutions to act as safe spaces where girls can access medical and psychosocial services without any judgment or discrimination, so startling statistics such as these can be reduced and eventually eliminated. Turning girls away further perpetuates the rape culture and encourages young girls to feel helpless up against a possible abusive reality,” she stressed.

 

Addressing the ‘Investing in Adolescents- Advancing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Barbados’ in commemoration of World Population Day at the UN House on Thursday, Rowe also underlined the Barbadian culture was helping to perpetuate this abuse.

 

“Regrettably, this is also embedded in the culture of our society where girls are encouraged to stay silent about sexual abuse, whether it be in a relationship, from a family member or even a stranger. The culture taught in the home has served to work against us in the issue of providing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights services for girls and this translates to the behavior we see in medical offices,” she argued.

 

Rowe continued, “We girls are uninformed, discriminated against and disempowered when it comes to the rights to our bodies and our rights as human beings. If we are to have girls have equal rights and equal opportunity to reach our highest potential, there needs to be a change of direction, both culturally and in the law.”

 

Questioning how this would be made possible, she urged leaders and policymakers to listen to young girls and the youth.

 

“There is now a greater need for those in leadership positions who can influence a change in legislation to mimic the actions of the UNFPA and meaningfully include more youth in their discussions. Who else can tell you about real issues affecting teenage girls other than ourselves? We are but a small group of youth here but our minds are resources often left untapped. A larger gathering of young minds can only work in favour of creating laws more all-inclusive and culturally relevant to us today. There is also a need for discussion with those who work in the medical field as they are a critical link to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health care. The more we know about their concerns regarding teenage girls and provision of medical services to youth in general, the closer we are to making laws which are all inclusive and protect the rights of all parties involved,” she added. (JMB)