By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, Nov 04, GNA – Chief Justice Mr Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has inaugurated Orange Girls Justice Club for Walewale as part of efforts to ensure opportunities for vulnerable girls.
The Chief Justice also swore into office the leadership of the club comprising its President, Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer.
This brought to five the number of Orange Girls Justice Clubs inaugurated in the country as part of the Chief Justice Mentoring Programme, which began in 2008.
The clubs are in Kumasi, Greater Accra, and Walewale.
The Orange Girls Justice Club is a specialized branch of the Chief Justice Mentoring Programme, which was created in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund and the implementing partner; the Purim African Youth Development Platform.
It is specifically designed to support vulnerable, out-of-school young migrant girls and female head porters (locally known as Kayayei) operating in major market hubs in Accra and Kumasi.
The club provides the girls with legal literacy, confidence-building and personal development opportunities.
The ceremony, which was on the theme: “Cybersecurity and Emerging Trends: Empowering the Youth in Today’s Digital Era”, also featured the inauguration and swearing in of executives of Justice Clubs at six senior high schools (SHS) in the Northern Region.
They included Savelugu SHS, Presbyterian SHS, Tamale, St Charles Minor Seminary SHS, Tamale Girls SHS, Tamale SHS, and Dagbon State Technical SHS.
Chief Justice Mr Baffoe-Bonnie, speaking after inaugurating and swearing in the clubs and their executives in Tamale, said justice was fundamental to society explaining that it involved protecting the vulnerable, safeguarding the innocent and ensuring that the powerful were held accountable.
He encouraged the clubs to stand up against discrimination, bullying and unfair treatment.
He encouraged female students not to allow gender stereotypes to limit their ambitions urging male students to respect girls and women as equal partners in society.
Her Ladyship Justice Professor Olivia Anku-Tsede, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Chairperson of the Chief Justice Mentoring Programme, said the initiative provided students (clubs) with mentorship opportunities from judges, magistrates, state attorneys and private legal practitioners.
She said it also exposed them to moot court activities and practical issues affecting society.
She said the initiative also supported vulnerable young women especially head porters by equipping them with knowledge of their rights, mentorship and opportunities for personal development.
She cautioned the students against cybercrime, online fraud, cyberbullying, misinformation and identity theft urging them to acquire relevant digital skills and use technology responsibly.
Naa Mohammed Iddrisu, Chief of Lamanshegu in Tamale commended the Chief Justice and the Judicial Service for the initiative describing it as an important approach to promoting inclusive development.
Meanwhile, as part of the inauguration and swearing in, the Orange Girls Justice Club staged a drama on harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriage and its negative effects on girls.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
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