Breaking the Silence: A Call to Action for Sexual and Reproductive Health
As the world marks Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day, the echoes of millions of unheard voices resound louder than ever. Behind the statistics and policy debates are real stories of women and girls struggling to access basic healthcare, facing stigma and misinformation, and fighting for their fundamental human rights.
In Ghana, Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) is sounding the alarm, urging policymakers, health professionals, educators, and civil society to take bold action. “Sexual and reproductive health and rights are not just buzzwords,” says Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of WOMEC. “They are fundamental human rights that have been neglected for far too long.”
The numbers paint a stark picture. Preventable maternal health complications, unsafe practices, and lack of access to comprehensive sexuality education continue to plague the nation. Cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and endometriosis remain underdiagnosed and undertreated, affecting the lives of countless women and girls.
But there is hope. WOMEC is calling for a revolution in how sexual and reproductive health is perceived and addressed. “We need to move beyond policy rhetoric to effective implementation,” Dr. Binka emphasizes. “This includes increasing domestic investment in reproductive health, strengthening health systems, and ensuring that adolescent- and youth-friendly services are accessible, affordable, confidential, and free from stigma.”
The media plays a critical role in driving this agenda. By consistently elevating sexual and reproductive health as a national priority, media institutions can challenge harmful myths, break the silence surrounding reproductive health, and hold policymakers accountable.
For 23-year-old Ama, who lives in a rural community in northern Ghana, access to comprehensive sexuality education could be life-changing. “I didn’t know I could protect myself from cervical cancer,” she says. “No one told me about it. I wish I had known earlier.”
Ama’s story is not unique. Countless women and girls across the country face similar challenges, often due to lack of information, cultural stigma, or unaffordable healthcare services. But with increased awareness, education, and access to quality healthcare, they can take control of their bodies, make informed choices, and live with dignity.
As WOMEC takes to the streets, engaging communities and policymakers in dialogue, the message is clear: empowerment begins with knowledge, but it must be matched by action. Comprehensive sexuality education, protection of reproductive rights, promotion of consent and safe practices, and access to life-saving screenings are urgent necessities—not optional interventions.
On this Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day, the call to action is clear. Policymakers, health professionals, educators, media practitioners, and civil society must act with urgency, courage, and accountability. The era of incremental progress has passed. It’s time to accelerate collective action to ensure that every woman and girl can make informed choices about her body, access quality healthcare without discrimination, and live in dignity.
Our health is our right. Our rights demand action.
