SFH, Cross River Task Community Women on Reproductive Health

On Mar 9, 2024

As part of activities for the celebration of the 2024 International Women’s’ Day, the Society for Family Health has sensitized nursing mothers on the importance of child spacing for their overall wellbeing.

The campaign, which held at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikot Offiong Ambai in Akpabuyo local government area of Cross River State, southern Nigeria, was supported by the State Ministry of Health for nursing mothers and women within the community and surrounding villages.

Some of the nursing mothers, who attended the event, expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Government and Society for Family Health for organising the forum, which they described as enlightening and empowering.

Mrs. Janet Inok, Deborah Eyo, and Rita Henry agreed that the information was empowering and liberating as they now understand the significance of family planning for their personal wellbeing and that of their families.

The Options

In her remarks, the Family Planning Coordinator in the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Lucy Enakirerhi, who represented the state government, explained the functions and durations of the different family planning options available in line with the Delivering Innovation in Self Care (DISC) Project to the women.

According to her, “The options available would enable interested women, especially in the communities, choose the best options suitable for them.

“We have come out to mark the International Women’s Day here at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikot Offiong Ambai in Akpabuyo local government area with information that would enable women take charge of their sexual reproductive health.”

Enakirerhi further explained that the 2024 International Women’s Day theme: “Inspire Inclusion” and the United Nations theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” emphasizes the importance of empowering all women to take ownership of their reproductive health to reap future benefits.

“This year’s theme lays emphasis on empowering women with knowledge of the different reproductive care options because very few of them have the information. So, helping these mother’s understand the agency of the women will enable them be part of the decision making processes starting from their homes and families.

“Family planning is one of the strategies that can be used to promote any kind of empowerment. With family planning, it is easy for women to space the number of children they have, how frequently they get pregnant and when such children are needed giving the mothers the opportunities to achieve education, which is very important for women.”

Taking Charge

Also speaking, the Social and Behavioural Change Communication Officer, SFH Cross River State, Mrs. Emem Ebule said that the essence of the sensitization campaign was to empower women to take charge of their sexual reproductive health.

“We are celebrating the International Women’s Day with mothers and women in Akpabuyo local government area. Just as the theme is, we are talking about investing in women, accelerating progress, it is similar to our DISC Project, which borders on self care and run by SFH with funding from Children Investment Fund Foundation.

“This campaign is aimed at empowering women of reproductive age to take charge of their sexual reproductive health. In the self care movement, we have self care options in family planning. We do not subject women to a particular option, we provide the information through balanced counseling and this makes them able to make informed choices. We create more awareness on self care options hereby empowering the women,” Ebule insisted.

The campaign featured distribution of family planning commodities to the over fifty nursing mothers and other women present at the occasion.