By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Mar 10, GNA – The National Peace Council has sensitised female students of the Labone Senior High School on issues of gender discrimination, equality, women’s development, and their vital role in promoting peace and security.
The engagement which brought together many of the girls from form one to three, was in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, themed: “Gender Equality for a Sustainable Future,” – a theme that resonated deeply with the students.
It sought to instill in the young minds the importance of challenging deep-rooted stereotypes and empowering girls and women to be agents of change and help create a world where women’s voices were heard, their rights were protected, and their contributions were valued.
Madam Semefa Asimenu, Head of Gender Unit, National Peace Council, who addressed the girls, called on them to strive for excellence and attain leadership position now and in the future, adding that they should not say girls or women had no space at the leadership table.
“If we imbibe these values in them at this age, they grow up with them. It is never written anywhere that leadership position is for men. Our Vice President is a woman, she did not look down upon herself. She was once a vice chancellor and rose through the ranks to where she is now,” Madam Asimenu said.
She said the National Peace Council had a unit that deals with mainstreaming gender programmes and activities where they interaction with students and market women to promote peace and security in the country.
Madam Dorothy Barnes, Women, Peace and Security Project Official, Foundation for Security and Development in Africa FOSDA, made a presentation on ‘Accelerating Action for Gender Equality’ and encourage the girls to believe in themselves and achieve their goals.
She commended the girls for having understood what gender equality meant and why it was important for all the sexes to have equal opportunities and privileges.
Miss Carmen Yeboah, Girls’ Prefect of the school, expressed her satisfaction for the sensitisation, adding that “there’s the need to empower women especially young girls and it is great to start from us.”
“Some positions are deemed to be a preserve of men, but we are changing the narrative. In this school some people think that some portfolios amongst the perfect are for the males because such positions have been dominated by the males over the years,” she added
“As the Girls’ Prefect, I do not always call guys to help carry arrange and park tables. I mostly engage the girls because women can do everything and do it better.” Miss Yeboah also said.
As the event concluded, the students left with a renewed sense of purpose. International Women’s Day 2025 at Labone Senior High School was not just a day of reflection, but a call to action for the young girls to rise, speak out, and advocate for a better future for themselves and others.
GNA
KOA