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Bartica students benefit sexual & reproductive health symposium
(Kaieteur News) – The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, in partnership with United Nations agencies hosted a two-day Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Symposium at the Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven.
The symposium, which is in its second year, commenced on Friday and concluded on Saturday and saw the participation of students and education stakeholders from Bartica Secondary and Three Miles Secondary schools, government officials, and international partners from UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and PAHO/WHO.
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health hosted a two-day Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Symposium with students and teachers at the Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Education, the symposium was centred within the national Health and Family Life Education framework, and it focused heavily on student empowerment, providing safe, structured spaces for young people to open up about puberty, menstrual health, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence and healthy relationships.
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag challenged the students to understand the biological realities of their development while building deep internal resilience against negative societal pressures.
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag.
Speaking on adolescent development, Minister Parag explained the emotional and physical shifts young people experience, noting how deep internal changes directly influence daily well-being.
“These internal shifts happen within the brain and across the body, directly contributing to your emotional, psychological and physical experiences. This is a natural biological process that you cannot stop, but understanding it is the true beginning of your self-confidence and personal identity,” she said.
During her remarks, the minister issued a strong warning against the dangers of peer pressure, specifically targeting harmful habits like vaping and alcohol consumption, which she warned can lead to life-altering addictions that erode fundamental human rights and educational access.
As part of the government’s wider plan to address adolescent health and long-term well-being, Minister Parag also briefed the students on the dangers of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and how it spreads and the fact that the virus is the primary cause of cervical cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death for women across the world.
She told students that this is entirely preventable through vaccination and highlighted that the government provides the protective vaccine completely free of cost to safeguard the nation’s young people before exposure.
The minister disclosed that when health officials started screening women in different parts of the country, they found that many women had pre-cancerous cells. “But with that vaccine, you can stop that from progressing. It’s important for our young people to know,” she explained to the audience.
Turning her attention to institutional support, Parag highlighted that a lack of resources should never stand in the way of a child’s fundamental right to education.
She praised the ongoing national menstrual hygiene initiative, noting that the First Lady’s menstrual programme, which began by raising funds and donating sanitary napkins particularly to girls in the hinterland areas, has been so impactful that the government has formally integrated and budgeted for it this year.
“This commitment ensures that the programme not only prevents period-related school absenteeism, but also maintains good health and hygiene for adolescent girls,” the release said.
According to the ministry, Minister Parag encouraged students to look within themselves for motivation and to always speak up and ask questions.
Further, the ministry shared that the two-day symposium saw a public awareness “Period Walk,” and participating students from both secondary schools signing the adolescent health empowerment pledge.
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