Elmina, Sept. 26, GNA – The Progressive Excellence Youth Organization (PEYORG), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has schooled parents and teachers on the need to give the girl child extra care and attention.
This, it said was because their safety from sexual and physical exploitation and discrimination in all forms including education was the responsibility of parents and teachers.
Mr. George Ackonu, the Administrator of PEYORG, was speaking during a workshop for parents and teachers in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo- Abrem (KEEA)Municipality.
It was organized by the Plan Ghana with funding from Plan Canada and implemented by the PEYORG to highlight gender roles and education for stakeholders under the Women Voices in Leadership Project.
He indicated that if parents and teachers bore this responsibility, it would drastically reduce sexual harassment, gender inequalities and promote equity and mutual coexistence.
Chief Inspector Theresah Agbavor,
KEEA Station Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) urged women and girls to take advantage of the special Unit of the Police Service to stop abuse against them.
‘Gender-based violence is neither a family nor private matter but a violation of human rights, help us stop it” she added.
She urged parents to enhance communication with their girl children and monitor certain changes in their mood, appearance, and demeanor as abused girls could sometimes be secretive and reserved
To teachers, Chief Inspector Agbavor said healthy communication with students was a vital factor in ensuring safety for girls as most girls were victims leaving under the same roof with their predators.
Linking children’s rights with gender considerations, Mr. Godfred Nyarko who is the Social Welfare Officer at KEEA said the chances to survive, be healthy, and be protected from abuse should not depend on gender.
The way forward he said was to be particularly concerned about children, their struggles, decisions, and growth and encouraged all to be advocates in telling the world the good it would do to them if they made the safety of their children a priority.
Adding her voice, Mrs. Abena Asiedua, a teacher urged all to help curtail the culture of teenage pregnancy and early motherhood which was rampant in the area and protect children and their rights.
GNA