By Laudia Sawer
Tema, April 19, GNA-Group Captain Theodora Agornyo, the Gender Policy Advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff, has urged Ghanaian women to apply and join combat units of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Group Capt. Agornyo said that even though there were several women in the GAF, there were not enough women to lead troops for peacekeeping purposes, as well as in the combat units such as artillery, infantry, pilots, signal officers, and executive officers of the Ghana Navy, among others.
She said this when addressing students of Chemu Senior High School in Tema, during a sensitization campaign to promote opportunities for women in the military, increase their participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and challenge misconceptions by addressing stereotypes.
The sensitization is a partnership programme by the Women Youth, Peace, and Security Institute (WYPSI) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the GAF, with funding from the Elsie Initiative Fund of Canada.
Group Captain Agornyo said women were not only cut for administrative positions but rather every form of work, and therefore, urged women with a first degree with a minimum of Second-Class Lower Division to apply and select a combat service support unit for an opportunity to be enrolled in such positions.
She called on families to encourage their women to go into the army to serve the nation, adding that they believe that with the nationwide rollout of the sensitization programme, “we know that in the next decade or two, there will be more women in the field.”
Group Capt. Agornyo educated the students, who were mostly girls, on the various arms of the GAF and the importance of the programme.
Ms Irene Elorm Hatsu Fiebor, the KAIPTC’s Greater Accra Region’s team lead for the sensitization programme, had an interactive session with the students on gender-related issues.
Ms. Fiebor, who is also the Lead Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer at KAIPTC, said whereas sex is the biological makeup of a person, their gender is determined by society.
She said that even though there were gender role stereotypes, women could take up any position, including those in the GAF, stressing that the forces do not discriminate in enrolling their officers, therefore women should take advantage to join.
The sensitization programme, which was launched in 2023, is aimed at reaching over 20,000 students across 85 senior high schools and selected universities across the 16 regions of Ghana.
It is in line with Ghana’s recognition of 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.
The national campaign builds on Ghana’s existing efforts to promote gender equality in the military, including the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions calling for increased participation of women in peacekeeping missions.
GNA