The Trust and Support Foundation has taken its advocacy for women’s reproductive health rights to Olomore community in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, with a sensitization outreach aimed at reducing unsafe abortions, maternal mortality, and promoting access to safe reproductive health services.
Speaking during the event on Thursday in Abeokuta , the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Victoria Madukwem, said the outreach was designed to educate women on their reproductive health rights and strengthen referral pathways for accessing services related to family planning, sexual health, and safe medical interventions.
“Today’s outreach is focused on sensitizing women about their reproductive health rights and how to access available services. We want to reduce unsafe abortions and maternal mortality within communities.
“We have over 80 women seated here today, and we are collaborating with the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Sexual Assault Referral Centre, community-based organizations, and Community Development Associations to ensure this message reaches everyone,” she added.
Madukwem noted that the programme, which has already been held in Ilaro and Ifo, is part of a larger initiative to reach communities across all 20 local government areas of Ogun State.
She explained that previous interventions had led to improved openness among women in discussing reproductive health matters and increased use of the hotline for confidential assistance.
“Women are now more comfortable discussing issues relating to reproductive health and are calling the confidential hotline for help. After this sensitization, we expect stronger collaboration between women and healthcare providers to reduce stigma and encourage the use of state health facilities,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr. Daramola Idowu from the Ogun State Sexual Assault Referral Centre, urged community members to report cases of rape, assault, or defilement immediately to nearby primary healthcare facilities.
“Whenever there’s a case of rape or assault, the first step is to report to the nearest primary health care facility. With the survivor’s consent, we ensure perpetrators are prosecuted through our legal department,” he explained.
In his remarks, Mrs Atolagbe Remilekun, a reproductive health officer from the Primary Health Care Board, educated participants on family planning methods, their side effects, and the importance of consulting qualified health personnel.
“Women should seek family planning services from trained health professionals and avoid quacks. Our practitioners have been trained to ensure confidentiality at all times,” she said.
The Community leader in Olomore, Chief Ayoola Ajagunjeun expressed gratitude to the organizers, describing the programme as timely and impactful.
“We are grateful for this enlightenment programme because we have many cases like this in our community. If two people gain knowledge today, they will share it with others. We must continue educating our people, if we cannot eliminate the problem, we can reduce it,” he said.
One of the participants, Mrs. Adenike Oluwaseun, commended the organizers, saying the training opened her eyes to vital information about safe reproductive practices.
“We all know abortion is illegal in Nigeria, but unsafe abortion is still happening and causing maternal deaths. We learned about contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the numbers to call in cases of rape or gender-based violence.
“We are not asking the government to legalize abortion, but to strengthen safe termination of pregnancy guidelines for cases such as rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is at risk,” she added.
