Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), as part of its Gender Transformative Programming (GTP) Turning Point project has made a clarion call on girls at Princeton Academy, Okushibri KKMA Basic School and Appolonnia KKMA JHS to aspire higher in their future endeavours to become agents of change to their communities.

Under the theme “Empowering the Girl Child: A necessary tool for closing the Gender Gap”, WOMEC admonished the girls to always aim higher and make education their valuable tool to harness their potentials.

Executive Director of WOMEC, Dr. Charity Binka said it was prudent to give the girl child equal opportunity irrespective of her race, background and religion for her to achieve her desirable goals in future.

Dr. Binka made these assertions in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, recently.

She lamented that violence against women was on the increase , indicating that many women were out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic, while many girls had also dropped out of school.

“However, the pandemic cannot be blamed for the woeful representation of women in decision making, politics and public life”, she stressed.

Dr. Binka indicated that “the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide and 145.6 years to attain gender parity in politics.”

“The Constitution of Ghana guarantees equal rights of women and men, yet disparities in education, employment, politics, leadership positions and health for women remain a worry”, she said.

Article 17(1) and (2) of the Constitution guarantees gender equality and freedom of men and women, girls and boys from discrimination on the basis of social or economic status, religion, ethnic grounds.

The Gender Advocate said, to achieve accelerated growth as a nation, Ghana must take steps to ensure that women and girls were put at the centre of planning and programming in national issues.

Dr. Binka called on the government to integrate gender perspectives into all national laws and policies, adding that measures must be introduced to protect girls and provide them with quality education.

She further called on government to take immediate steps to expedite efforts towards the passage of Affirmative Bill into law and said there was the need for intense advocacy on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

Dr. Vanessa Nsiah Akosah, Child Rights Activist and a Dental Surgeon also advised the girls not to be scared of taking competitive roles in the society because they had the ability to equally perform like their male counterparts.

She urged stakeholders in the fight of gender parity to constantly support, motivate and encourage girls to see education as an empowerment to the attainment of their future goals.

“But boys should not be sidelined in the fight for gender equality”, she cautioned.

By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah