CAIRO — Laura Register made the long trek from Grady County to New York to discuss women’s rights. 

Register, who serves District 3 for Grady County’s Board of Education, took part in a panel discussion conducted through the Carter Center Human Rights Program on March 20. 

As part of the discussion, Register discussed the efforts of bringing comprehensive sex education to Grady County schools. 

Register said she started with the facts and statistics on the number of teen pregnancies and teen sexually-transmitted diseases in Grady County. 

“You hit people with reality and they start to focus on a solution,” she said. “We started the conversation with the facts, and we let everybody have a voice at the table.”

Register said a women’s group — made up of women of different religious and political backgrounds — was formed. 

“Our whole goal was to inform each other on whatʼs going on in our community and how to make a difference,” Register said. 

Register said the goal was to empower children and also show how to seek help in sexual abuse instances. 

She became a part of the panel after meeting Karin Ryan, Carter Center’s senior adviser of human rights, and discussed what is being done to combat teen pregnancy in Grady County. 

“I have never done anything like this before so I’m nervous but really honored,” Register said prior to the discussion.  

Comprehensive sex education courses are implemented in all Grady County schools, starting in the fourth grade. 

A Q&A also was conducted. 

Participating with Register were Ryan, who moderated; Lauren Hersh, national director and founding co-chair of World Without Exploitation; and Faizat Badmus-Busari, attorney and doctoral researcher at Emory’s School of Law. 

The discussion was conducted at the Church for the United Nations. 

The panel discussion can be viewed at www.facebook.com/forumonwomen.  

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.