Women Aspire Network (WAN), young women led Non Governmental Organization (NGO) has empowered 300 adolescents under the She-Leads project in Central Region.
The “She Leads Project” is a strategic partnership between Terre des Hommes, Plan International, Defense for Children, African Women’s Development, and Communication Network with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
The five-year project is targeted at young women between the ages of 10 and 30 years to support and empower them to actively participate in decision making at the family, community, Regional and National levels.
Ms Angela Nhyira Kwabi, the Project Officer for WAN, at a day’s community forum at Elmina Iyisa in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality(KEEA) called on parents and families, traditional and religious leaders to promote positive gender norms to increase civic spaces for girls and young women.
The engagement formed part of the 16-days activism campaign against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) where WAN is sensitizing the public and most importantly girls to be bold and assertive and to have the power to say ‘NO’ to violence against them.
It is on the theme: “End Gender-Based Violence against children and girls now”.
Ms Kwabi said the violence girls and women go through hindered their progress and her organisation was out to find suitable solutions to resolving them.
She stressed the need for an enabling environment to be created for them to actively participate in leadership and decision making at the family, school, community, sub-national and national levels.
Mrs Olivia Abeka, a Girl Child Officer of the KEEA, Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES), tasked society to motivate and encourage pregnant young girls and nursing mothers to continue their education irrespective of the challenges confronting them.
She entreated men to always give women the needed support in all aspects of life since that would help motivate them to achieve their goals.
Ms Abeka asked women not to allow themselves to be intimidated but be studious and upgrade themselves for better living standards.
The Girl Child Officer told parents to be friends with their wards and teach them the country’s core values and culture, as well as issues concerning their growth for them to appreciate adolescent challenges and consult parents when the need arose.
She underscored the importance of education and urged them to make their wards’ education a top priority.
Madam Lawrencia Ethie Essien, a beneficiary and trainee of WAN advised parents to desist from blaming pregnant adolescents but support and assist them during that trying times for them to easily integrate into society after delivery.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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