Stakeholders Urged To Prioritize Girl-Child Education

As part of its agenda, Insight Foundation Ghana (IFG) is aiming to see girls stay in school and walk up the educational ladder alongside the boy-child. Therefore, the foundation has called on stakeholders and parents to prioritize girl-child education.

The Executive Director, Mrs Christiana Gockel, mentioned that, “Not just a matter of the girls going to school, but as stakeholders we are making sure they stay in school to develop themselves amidst the hindrances they encounter”. She made the call at the maiden mentorship programme organised by the IFG, as part of activities incorporated in the maiden Girls’ Inspirer Awards 2016 held in October last year to celebrate and recognise five women achievers in the country.

They were Professor Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu, a Lecturer in Law at the University of Ghana, Dr Dorcas Coker-Appiah, the Executive Director of Gender Studies Human Right Centre and Mrs Jane Amavi Kwaku, an Independent Gender Consultant. The others are Mrs Angela Dwamena Aboagye, the Executive Director of Ark Foundation and the Late Eva Lokko, the Progressive People’s Party Parliamentary aspirant for Klottey Korle.

 

The Girls’ Inspirer Awards aims at engaging the five women achievers to mentor 25 young girls towards their career path.

 

Mrs Angela Dwamena Aboagye, the Executive Director of Ark Foundation, advised the girls to use their voice to empower themselves, when she was mentoring them on the topic: “Personal Development and Empowerment of Young Women”

 

She said whether in speaking, writing or in any other form of communication, the girls ought to find their voice and use it for the good of the rest of society. She also added that voice, empowerment, purpose and values, are all good tools need to help shape your lives from now to the future. She ended her advice by urging the girls to take their studies, working through their books, connecting with good friends, going to church and following their parents as well as teachers’ trainings.

 

 

The 25 Girls who were mentored came from Association Community Basic School, Sea Shell Modern International School, Osu Presbyterian Preparatory School, Tinny Flowers Academy and La Saint Paul’s School. Some resource persons came from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as the La Dadekotopong Girls Education Officer.

 

The mentorship, which is a continuous four months programme with the aim of building on previous meeting between girls and their mentors is also IFG’s way of commemorating this year’s International Women’s day which was on the theme: “Women in the changing world of work: Planet 50-50 by 2030.”

 

However, “Economic Empowerment of Rural Women: A Tool for Sustainable Development in a Changing World of Work” was the theme selected to mark the day in Ghana.

International Women’s Day is annually observed on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations.