NRHJN Advocates Innovative Programmes To Give Women Easy Access To Family Planning

The Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria, NRHJN, has advocated innovative programs and ways that seek to ensure no woman is left behind when it comes to access to family planning services particularly modern contraceptives.

This was contained in a statement signed by the secretary of the network, Mrs Yinka Shokunbi, in celebration of the International Women Day, IWD.

The NRHJN is making a strong case that all in-coming states governments must consciously provide budget lines for Family Planning to be compulsorily released timely, for the purpose of ensuring services are provided at the Primary Healthcare level.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria currently has the greatest number of people living in extreme poverty in the world and the primary reason for this development is that financial resources are scarce and the nation is producing more people than it can cater for.

In recognition of the IWD as the focal point in the movement for women’s rights, the Network sees the day as opportunity to reflect on progress made, call for change and celebrate achievements of women across the world.

The NRHJN calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that women are given a fair share of ministerial appointments and other elective positions and they expect that the current imbalance will be corrected through adherence to the thirty-five percent affirmative action.

The Network is also particularly concerned about the appalling situation of women at the various Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps and seek urgent intervention of the President to scale up the welfare of women on the camps.

The network also called on government at all levels to, as a matter of priority, create an enabling environment that would enable Nigerian women opportunity to balance their work, family and social lives and contribute optimally to the economic growth of the nation.

The network observed that IWD brings to fore the Sustainable Development Goals three and five which call for universal access to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of women and girls.

It equally recognized that women are the most affected in moments of domestic and communal crises, and the Network is demanding that the country enforces effective policies to protect women in times of domestic or communal conflict in order to enable the women to attain their full potential.