The together with the Western Regional Directorate of Gender have marked this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, with over 200 basic and senior high school students.
The girls were educated on how to unearth their self-worth, potentials and values, to make meaningful contributions to society.
The 2025 celebration is on the theme: “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Empowering Girls in Crisis”.
Madam Maribel Akuorkor Okine, the Western Regional Director of the Department of Gender, said empowering young girls with knowledge, skills, and support, could help them become the change leaders of tomorrow.
This can be done through education, promoting girls’ rights and protecting them from violence and exploitation, while encouraging them to pursue their passions and interests.
Girls, she noted, were presented with a myriad of challenges related to growth and development, such as puberty, peer pressure, or academic stress, illnesses, injuries, or mental health issues, conflicts, bullying, or social media harassment among others. requiring that they were properly oriented to effectively handle such issues with utmost self-awareness.
Madam Okine said in the Western Region, the theme resonated deeply as cultural norms often assigned greater powers to men and relegated women to subordinate roles.
She, therefore, called for continuous support and empowerment of girls to lead positive change in their communities and beyond adding that “Together, we can create a world where girls thrive, lead, and make a lasting impact”.
Professor Gladys Quartey, from the Takoradi Technical University, noted that investment in girls was a shared responsibility for a better future for the country and called on stakeholders to continue to mentor these girls into fulfilling destinies.
She advised girls not to blindly fall for flattering words from men or boys and latter allowing them to abuse or use them, “…focus on becoming a better person, work on the vision and don’t settle for less”.
She narrated how she had to turn down an early marriage proposal from a church brother in the interest of her personal academic development and her future “…but I am here and married now, that early marriage, wouldn’t have made a Professor out of me, I guess, but perseverance did”.
Madam Margaret Blay, the Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator said investing in girls was for stronger families, vibrant communities and a brighter Ghana.
She encouraged stakeholders to affirm their commitment to create a better environment and opportunities for girls to thrive.
GNA
