By Bertha Badu-Agyei/Harriet Kwakye
Accra, Nov 13, GNA – The African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), Ghana Chapter, has called for urgent reforms in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment process following Wednesday’s tragic incident.
Six young ladies have been confirmed dead and several others injured in a stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra, during the GAF recruitment exercise.
Dr. Charity Binka chairperson of AWLN Ghana, in a statement expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and described the incident as a painful reminder of the systemic vulnerabilities facing young women in their pursuit of employment opportunities.
“The fact that all six victims were females underscores the urgent need to re-examine how public recruitment exercises are organized, especially when they attract large numbers of unemployed youth desperate for work,” she said.
AWLN Ghana emphasized the need for a comprehensive review and decentralization of the recruitment process to make it more equitable, gender-responsive, and inclusive.
The Network recommended the introduction of modern digital systems and the establishment of regional recruitment centres to reduce crowding and ensure transparency and orderliness.
Dr. Binka also urged policymakers to invest in sustainable job creation, skills development, and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth to reduce desperation in the job market.
She said AWLN demanded a thorough, transparent investigation into the circumstances leading to the stampede and accountability where lapses are found.
This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for systemic change in the recruitment processes and “the lives lost should not be in vain, it must inspire reforms that prioritize human life, dignity, and equal opportunity,”
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba