The Zak La Yilguemdé association launched, Tuesday February 20, 2024, in Toécé in the province of Bazèga, the 5th edition of the project 'Being a girl is a right' aimed at fighting against child marriages and female genital mutilation within the municipality.After four editions held in the commune of Nobéré (province of Zoundwéogo), the Association Zak La Yilguemdé (AZLY) is once again renewing the project 'Being a girl is a right' in the neighboring commune Toécé in the province of Bazèga (region of South-Central).A day of information and advocacy on texts and laws favorable to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) with community leaders, administrative officials and technical services in charge of social and educational issues, organized on Friday, served as the official launch of the project.'We chose the commune of Toécé after four years of implementing the project in the commune of Nobéré because it was a success with the neighbor and we think that we can duplicate it here and also that with the proximity, the populations will be able to give a good testimony which will facilitate change in behavior', indicated Sara Ouédraogo from AZLY, about the specific choice of the municipality of Toécé to host the 'Being a girl is a right' project.She added that Toécé's option results from the observation that the practice of child marriage and excision still occurs within the municipality.'We want to help reduce the rates of these practices to their lowest level,' she underlined, then mentioning that it is also, through their intervention, 'contributing to raising the rate of girls' enrollment and completion of school by helping them to strengthen their skills and knowledge.To achieve the expected results, AZLY intends, according to Sara Ouédraogo, to 'work to change social norms harmful to girls, strengthen the care system for girls for their sexual and reproductive health and improve their knowledge and skills so that they are able to be, without constraint, at school with joy and continue their stu dies'.Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries of the project, student Konaté Nouriatou Faosia from the Toécé departmental high school, expressed his gratitude to the initiators of the project before announcing their 'commitment to supporting the activities through education by the peers ".For her, fighting against child marriage and female genital mutilation is, without context, an appropriate measure to help girls avoid being forced to drop out of school.Without this, she continued, 'it will be difficult for our country to achieve Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 adopted by the United Nations in September 2015 and which consists of ensuring access to education for all. quality, on an equal footing, and promote lifelong learning opportunities.The president of the Special Delegation (PDS) of the commune of Toécé, Harouna Nana, for his part, promised all the support necessary for the success of the project.He considered that the initiative is salutary and life-saving because it will contribute to 'r evolutionizing mentalities concerning the rights of children and adolescents, particularly girls, in the municipality'.The 5th edition of the 'Being a girl is a right' project in Toécé will cover the period 2023-2024. It is implemented with financial support from Mundo Cooperante and ultimately aims to reach 3,500 direct beneficiaries including 1,900 girls aged between 9 and 16 and 4,312 indirect beneficiaries.Ten primary schools and seven post-primary schools in 15 villages in Toécé, in total, will be affected by the project's interventions.Source: Burkina Information Agency
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