Gender
WOMEC launches project to help adolescent girls deal with abuses
Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), a non-governmental organisation that helps in shaping the lives of women in the society launched a gender-transformative programme in Kpone Katamanso Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, last week.
Abuses, including sexual harassment from stepfathers and older boys and domestic violence are some of the challenges adolescent girls have to contend with in Kpone-Katamanso.
According Ms. Dulcie Delali Attipoe, Projects Coordinator of WOMEC, a situational analysis report based on a study conducted through focus group discussions among residents in the area found that, some teachers in the municipality were sexually involved with female students.
She said the limited knowledge on sexual and reproductive health issues among adolescent girls were other pressing issues hampering the well-being and progress of girls in the community.
Ms. Attipoe revealed these findings during the launch of a Gender Transformative Programming (GTP) Turning Point Project, which sought to empower adolescent girls and a limited number of boys with knowledge in gender issues and other life skills in selected schools in the Kpone Katamanso municipality.
She said the project would run until 2022 and Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) implementing it. Global Affairs Canada and Plan International under the Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Ghana Project is funding it.
During the presentation, data showed that teenage pregnancy and school dropout rates were very high among teenagers and adolescent girls in the area.
Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of WOMEC reiterated that, the Turning Point project would use innovative approaches to strengthen 14 gender clubs in the schools to empower the teenage girls in the formative years to make informed choices about their lives.
She indicated that, the project would also sensitise selected senior secondary school students, especially boys to become gender champions so they could positively influence their peers to become gender sensitive.
The Executive Secretary pleaded for strong collaboration with stakeholders to help empower adolescent girls in order to turn their lives around for a brighter future.
Dr. Esther Danquah, Director of the Municipal Health Directorate, launched the project, under the theme, “building the capacity of the girl-child for national development,” during an interface meeting, which was attended by teachers, health workers and officials from the Ghana Health Service and Ghana Education Service.
Findings from the report showed that adolescents abused contraceptives and, therefore, recommended that education on sexual and reproductive health must be intensified.
In addition, parents should to establish a strong relationship or bond with their children to know what goes on in their lives.
The report again showed that the COVID-19 had made the situation of gender disparity worse as the rate of teenage pregnancy had increased due to the pandemic and brought all forms of hardship with the rate of crime increasing in the community.
Mrs. Millicent Caesar, Deputy Director at the Education Directorate urged the teachers to support the project to ensure a paradigm shift in the lives of women and to enable them to get their voices heard.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has called for sustained legal and institutional reforms to address gender biases within Ghana’s justice system.
She urged women lawyers to build on the legacy of trailblazers who have shaped the country’s legal landscape.
Madam Bampoe Addo made the call at the maiden Biennial Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Women’s Forum, organised in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law in Accra on Tuesday.
The event was on the theme: “The role of women lawyers in national development: honouring trailblazers.”
Madam Bampoe Addo said the progress made by women in the legal profession was not accidental but the result of years of struggle, sacrifice and determination.
She paid tribute to early trailblazers such as Matilda Foster and Annie Jiagge, saying their achievements broke barriers and opened doors for generations of women lawyers.
She commended the contributions of female judicial leaders, including Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Mrs Sophia Akuffo, and Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, whose leadership reflected the growing influence of women in Ghana’s judiciary.
Women lawyers had made significant contributions across multiple sectors, including the courtroom, academia, policy development, civil society advocacy and community engagement.
Madam Bampoe Addo noted that their efforts had advanced gender equality, strengthened institutions and improved access to justice in the country.
She expressed concern about the persistent gender biases within the justice system, particularly in some judicial pronouncements that could undermine the dignity of women.
The courts, she noted, must not only deliver justice but must also communicate it in a manner that upheld respect and fairness for all parties.
“There is undervaluation of women’s unpaid domestic labour, including caregiving responsibilities, which are often overlooked in legal determinations, especially in matrimonial cases,” she added.
She called for a more progressive and context-sensitive approach to adjudication, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from other jurisdictions to ensure fairness and equity.
Madam Bampoe Addo urged legal practitioners and judges to build on progressive legal precedents and ensure that Ghana’s legal system evolved to reflect contemporary social realities.
She emphasised the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, encouraging women in leadership to create opportunities for others and support the next generation of female lawyers.
She called on young women to pursue legal careers with confidence, adding that the profession offered vast opportunities to contribute to national development.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Donkor, the Director-General of CID, said women lawyers played indispensable roles in shaping Ghana’s legal and governance systems.
They had excelled in various fields and occupied key leadership positions, contributing to policy reforms and championing justice for vulnerable groups, she added.
COP Donkor paid tribute to trailblazing women lawyers whose achievements continued to inspire and motivate younger generations to strive for excellence.
She urged students and young practitioners to go beyond academic successes and embrace the broader mission of promoting justice, fairness and societal transformation.
She encouraged more women lawyers to consider careers in the Ghana Police Service, describing law enforcement as a critical area where legal expertise was needed to strengthen justice delivery.
She commended the organisers of the conference for the success, saying it would encourage the next generation of women lawyers to continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s development. – GNA
The Dzidula Pink Foundation has engaged expectant mothers on cervical cancer at a recent pregnancy clinic held at St Gregory Hospital, Budumburam in the Awutu Senya East District.
The engagement formed part of its advocacy on early cancer detection to safeguard maternal health.
It also formed part of the foundation’s broader mission to raise awareness about cancers affecting women, particularly at a time when many may be least likely to consider screening especially pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Addressing a gathering of pregnant women at the clinic, the president of the foundation, Ms Fafa Gozo, highlighted a worrying trend where a significant number of women are diagnosed with cancer around the time of delivery.
This, she noted, often results from delayed screening and limited awareness about the importance of early detection.
She educated the women about the need to prioritise their health by undertaking timely cancer screening, even while navigating the demands of pregnancy.
She reiterated that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality.
“Pregnancy should not be a reason to delay screening. In fact, it is a critical period where heightened awareness can save lives,” Ms Gozo said.
The engagement also created a platform for open dialogue, allowing the expectant mothers to ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from health professionals present at the clinic.
Health experts at the facility echoed the foundation’s message, underscoring that routine checks and screenings, when done early, can lead to timely interventions and better health outcomes for both mother and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
