Takoradi, Oct. 8, GNA – The African Women International (AFWI) has received the Advocacy Innovation Challenge (AIC) grant to grow the interest of more women in the non-traditional sectors of TVET.
The programme: “Enhancing Young Women’s Interest and Access in the non-traditional sectors of TVET through Policy Advocacy in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis” is supported by the Global Affairs Canada, in partnership with World University Services of Canada (WUSC) and ABANTU for Development.
Madam Araba Dennis, the Executive Director of the AFWI, said the programme under the innovation in Non-Vocational Education Skills Training (INVEST) Project would equip prospective candidates with the requisite skills and knowledge to do exploit in the TVET sector, create more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities as a boost to local economic development.
The Advocacy Innovation Challenge (AIC) grant is designed to advocate change on public perceptions and challenge social norms that constraint women’s access to employment opportunities in non-traditional trades.
She said the grant would improve the capacity of partner organizations to develop, test and scale innovative gender-responsive advocacy initiatives to address social and gender norms that hinder women’s participation in non-traditional trades to build sustainable pathways to enhanced economic empowerment.
Currently, the AIC looked at building the well-being and inclusive growth of 5,000 urban poor young women in Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi.
The initiatives also target young women, influencers, local authorities, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and trainers, media and government agencies.
Already, the AFWI has organized a stakeholder engagement to outdoor the project.
Madam Dennis said as the world sought to achieve gender equality by 2030, more interventions were needed to be done in that regard.
She, therefore, described the project as timely to curb migration, unemployment and kill stereotypes and discrimination male-dominated TVET.
GNA