The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) has trained paralegals from four regions to strengthen adolescents' access to justice, protection and support services.
The training forms part of efforts to build a more responsive justice system for young people.
Organised with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the training covered the Volta and Eastern regions as the first batch, and the Ashanti and North East regions as the second batch, focusing on promoting awareness of adolescents' rights and improving their ability to seek justice safely.
Paralegals
The sessions brought together FIDA-trained paralegals who serve as critical first points of contact and support for adolescents in their communities seeking help with legal, protection and referral services.
Participants were taken through practical sessions on key barriers that prevented young people from accessing justice, including limited awareness of their rights, challenges and barriers in reporting abuse, limited access to legal representation, child protection concerns, gender-based violence, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
The trainings also examined how paralegals could support adolescents to access appropriate referral pathways and support services, including legal aid providers, social welfare officers, health services and child protection agencies.
A major focus of both programmes was strengthening participants' capacity to provide safe, child-friendly, confidential and appropriate support to adolescents seeking justice, particularly those affected by abuse, exploitation or gender-based violence.
Practical knowledge
According to FIDA-Ghana, the paralegals were equipped with practical knowledge and skills to listen to adolescents without judgement, protect their privacy, identify cases requiring specialised intervention, and connect them to timely legal, health, social welfare and child protection services.
The organisation noted that many adolescents faced difficulties navigating justice and protection systems due to fear, stigma, misinformation and limited knowledge of available services, especially in communities where awareness of rights remained limited.
Through the initiative, FIDA-Ghana is strengthening and expanding a network of paralegals who can raise awareness on adolescents' rights, support case identification and referrals, and advocate for improved access to justice at the community level.
FIDA-Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to working with UNFPA and other partners to bridge the gap between adolescents and formal justice systems.
The trained paralegals from the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti and North East regions are expected to support community education, case identification, referrals and advocacy to ensure more adolescents access justice, protection and essential support services.
