By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, Oct. 13, GNA – The country must put in place deliberate policies and programmes aimed at empowering children with disabilities, particularly the disabled girl child,” Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, has suggested.
“In the normal sense, to be a girl or woman in a society such as ours already exposes you to a myriad of challenges and obstacles and thus being a girl with disability makes it even harder, hence the need to be intentional about empowering girls with disabilities,” she said.
Mrs. Awadzi made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in Takoradi, at the commemoration with the International Day of the Girl Child.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “Invest in Girls Rights, Our Leadership, Our Well-Being.”
The Special Mother’s Project is an organization that advocates children with cerebral palsy and their families in Ghana.
She said the girl with disabilities also had innate potential that must be unearthed through special attention and care for them to also contribute their quota to development.
“We have seen some girls and women with disabilities break barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, which points to the fact that when empowered, young girls with disabilities can become useful and powerful citizens.
“This is why we are calling on parents and teachers to be intentional about empowering especially young girls with disabilities.”
This year’s International Day of the Girl Child focused attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
GNA