By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Big-Ada, April 21, GNA – The Women Youth, Peace, and Security Institute (WYPSI) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has sensitised Ada Senior High School students on women in peacekeeping operations.
The sensitization programme, which is funded by the Elsie Initiative Fund of Canada, aligns with the Government of Ghana’s commitment to the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, a global effort to empower women in peacekeeping roles.
The nationwide initiative aims at promoting opportunities for women in the military and increasing their participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, with a focus on encouraging young women to consider careers in the GAF, particularly combat units, which offer strong leadership development opportunities for future deployments.
The campaign also seeks to challenge misconceptions by addressing stereotypes and providing accurate information about the diverse and fulfilling careers available to women in the military.
Group Captain Theodora Agornyo, the Gender Policy Advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), educating the students on the work of the GAF, urged women to exploit opportunities in the forces to advance their careers, especially in the combat unit, and to climb to top positions.
Group Captain Agornyo told the Ghana News Agency that the goal of the programme was to get women to the decision-making level in peacekeeping operations, and that is only possible when one gets to the very top as a service commander or a commanding officer in the Ghana Armed Forces.
She continued that they were encouraging women to enter the combat unit because it was only in that unit that they could get to the very top of the GAF.
The programme, which was launched in 2023, aimed to reach over 20,000 students across 85 senior high schools and selected universities across the 16 regions of Ghana.
The campaign, according to Captain Agornyo, has so far been to the Central, Eastern, Volta, and Oti Regions, while the Greater Accra and Bono Regions commenced on April 15, 2024.
Ghana, she said, recognised the crucial role women play in achieving successful peace operations, as women peacekeepers often connect more effectively with local communities, particularly women and children, who are frequently the most impacted by conflict.
This national campaign builds on Ghana’s existing efforts to promote gender equality in the military, including the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions calling for increased participation of women in peacekeeping missions.
GNA