African Girls Empowerment Network unveils ‘Belle by Choice’ Challenge 2024

Clarion call is made to reduce unwanted pregnancy and many negative issues that comes with it.

AGE Network, in a release signed by its Administrator, Matina Ebri said it has been able to form a movement for collective actions #Bellebychoicemovement# with Advocate for Peace Nature and Gender justice (APNAG), Assist Women and Develop Children Initiative, Association for the Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood, Women for women empowerment CBO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative, Women for Decency International Outreach, Gender Breast Health Foundation, Gangiche Group of Company, Network For Youth Enlightenment And Development N-YED, Abdulganiyu Lawal, Kabaa Digital Resource Centre, Centre for Communities Education and Youth Development, Abraham’s Children Foundation, G. O .Lawalson Trading Company, The Young and Woman initiative, Bethel Viva Foundation, Centre for Communities Education and Youth Development, Free Hearts Africa Reach Out Foundation (FAROF) and many more.

Ebri noted that the challenge will commence from the 1st of September 2024 through December 2024 to commemorate the 3rd Year anniversary of the Belle by Choice challenge and the 2024 World Contraception Day.

As part of its bid to help flatten the curve of unwanted pregnancies among women and adolescent girls in Nigeria, the African Girls Empowerment Network (AGE) is set to launch 2024 Belle by Choice Challenge.

She noted that the initiative was to address the roots and underlying causes of unwanted, and unplanned pregnancies such as rape, child marriage, sexual/intimate partners violence, and stigma surrounding women and adolescent sexuality.

She added that part of the goals of the initiative also include to increase the access and uptake of modern contraception among women and adolescent girls, particularly those in the vulnerable and displaced settings by reaching out to and engaging men and boys, particularly the community leaders, family heads, religious/traditional leaders, youths and men including those in the hard to reach communities.

“This year, we are setting another challenge to reach 10,000 Men and boys and get them involved to end rape, sexual & intimate partner violence, child marriages, stigma and break barriers to women and adolescent girls’ access and uptake of modern contraception and family planning commodities and services.

“Nigeria accounts for 2.5 million cases of unwanted pregnancies reported annually, contributing to a concerning maternal mortality ratio of 512 per 100,000 live births, as per the reports of the UNFPA in 2022 and the Federal Ministry of Health in 2020.

“The lack of men’s involvement has contributed to the slow uptake of contraception and family planning and this has played a major role in the high rate of unintended pregnancies, preventable maternal mortality, and unsafe abortion in our country.

“Urgent action is needed, and we strongly believe that men’s active involvement in preventing child marriage, sexual violence, rape and of course child spacing and birth control can make a substantial difference in addressing these issues.

“Through the 2024 10k Men Give Belle By Choice Not by Force challenge we want to address the roots and underlying causes of unwanted, and unplanned pregnancies such as rape, child marriage, sexual/intimate partners violence, and stigma surrounding women and adolescent sexuality and increase the access and uptake of modern contraception among women and adolescent girls particularly those in the vulnerable and displaced settings by reaching out to and engaging men and boys, particularly the community leaders, family heads, religious/traditional leaders, youths and men including those in the hard to reach communities.’

Ebri, however, called on women’s sexual rights advocates and civil society actors, development partners, media, and government to join the #BelleByChoiceMovement to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and its attendant problems such as unsafe abortion, maternal mortality rate, girls’ school dropout, child marriage among others.

With this initiative, there will be positive attitude towards female gender thereby allowing them take their rightful place in the society.