Patience Ikpeh
What actions are you taking to promote and protect the health and rights of women and young people worldwide?
The actions that I am taking to promote and protect the health and rights of women and young persons are presently limited to Nigeria. In the last few years I have attended two National conferences, namely:
Nigerian Youth Consultations on Feminism (14th – 18th August, 2007)
2nd National Youth Leadership Training Summit on “Adolescent Sexual, Reproductive Health Rights, Challenges and Opportunities (16th – 19th Dec. 2007)
At Impact for Change and Development (IMPACT), the non-governmental organization wheere I work as the program officer, I am part of an ongoing project on building women’s capacity in conflict management and peace building. The project has been inaugurated within 6 conflict prone communities in Nigeria. At the peace fora, we educate community women about their reproductive rights to reduce their risk to sexual violence which inhibits a woman’s peace.
Also during our peace education program for in-school adolescents in Delta State, as part of the program, young persons are educated on their sexual and reproductive health rights and how to assert these rights. Pep talks are held which focuses on peaceful relationships devoid of violence between young persons, gender equity, and communication skills. This project has helped in modeling the lives of young persons in the Delta State and their responses to violence and rights abuses.
What is your vision of lasting change for yourself and for the world's young people?
My vision of a lasting change is to see a world where women and girls are given equal opportunities as men and boys. Where gender based violence is eliminated to enable young women to fully actualize their potentials and work in partnership with their male counterparts without fear or prejudice at all levels – national, state and community.
If you could tell world leaders one thing, what would it be?
I would tell world leaders to “Promote and protect the sexuality and reproductive health rights of young persons especially young girls because they are agents of change, the carriers of future destinies.”
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