By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Feb 03, GNA – The Northern Regional Programme Office of ActionAid Ghana in collaboration with FORWARD UK and TuWezeshe Global has launched a leadership programme for young women feminists aimed at mentoring the next generation of women leaders in the country.
The initiative dubbed: “TuWezeshe Akina Dada Leadership Programme”, is derived from the Swahili language, which means “Empowering Our Sisters.”
It seeks to nurture female leaders with long-term objective of addressing gender-based violence and promoting women participation in decision-making at the community level.
Targeting young women between the ages of 18 and 35, the programme focuses on building leadership capacity and strengthening grassroots activism through structured training, mentorship, self-care and the implementation of community-based social action projects.
The launch created a platform for fellows from the first cohort, which commenced last year, to share their experiences, lessons learnt and projects implemented under the programme, while providing opportunity for mentors to engage with the second cohort.
Madam Beatrice Yanman Biije, Northern Regional Manager of ActionAid Ghana, speaking during the event in Tamale, said the first cohort comprised 21 women while the second cohort had enrolled 23 women reflecting the growing interest in the initiative.
She said “After the intensive training, we support the fellows with budgetary allocations and also challenge them to develop projects of their own interest to be implemented in their communities as part of efforts to encourage women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.”
Madam Biije said the programme ensured continuous support for participants through mentorship, adding “One key aspect of the programme is that after the training, we do not leave the fellows on their own. We provide them with mentors, who guide and support them to successfully implement their projects.”
Madam Naana Otoo-Oyortey, Executive Director of FORWARD UK, gave a background to the programme explaining that it involved a residential feminist leadership training that equipped young women with practical leadership skills.
She said the training enhanced participants’ knowledge of women’s rights and gender-based violence while building their confidence, resilience and capacity to become effective leaders and change-makers.
Madam Otoo-Oyortey noted that fellows became members of country-specific fellowship networks, which enabled them to share ideas, draw inspiration from one another, collaborate to address challenges, and strengthen solidarity.
Miss Adamu Fuseini, a fellow of the first cohort, said the programme had positively impacted her career and leadership growth improving her ability to engage community members effectively as well as strengthening her record-keeping and report-writing skills.
Miss Salma Wumpini Sumaila, a beneficiary of the second cohort, said the training had awakened her feminist spirit and prepared her to implement a project on sexual and reproductive health rights.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/ Kenneth Odeng Adade