By Rosemary Wayo
Damongo (S/R), June 12, GNA – The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has ended its nationwide sensitisation campaign on career opportunities within the GAF, with Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Savannah Region.
The campaign was a collaboration between the GAF and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) through its Women Youth Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI).
It was to address gender stereotypes and misconceptions about the GAF, to inform young people on less known opportunities in the forces to enable them to make informed decisions and sought to generate the interest of young women to pursue a career in the combat units of the GAF.
It was sponsored by the Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women.
Group Captain Theodora Adjoa Agornyo, Gender and Policy Adviser to the Chief of Defence Staff, GAF, speaking during the campaign at the Damongo SHS, said the objective of the sensitisation was to encourage women to join the GAF in areas that could earn them the opportunity to be appointed to the decision-making level.
She said it was to educate women on the combat and combat support unit of the GAF, saying being part of the unit created a higher chance of being appointed to the commanding officer rank.
She said even though there were enough women in the GAF, they were in areas that were traditionally known as women dominated.
She stated the need for young girls to know that they would not be restricted in career options and called on teachers and parents to go beyond stereotype to embolden girls to pursue their career choices in male dominated capacities of the GAF.
Madam Agornyo noted that the GAF had a policy of guaranteeing equal opportunities to all in the Armed Forces and cautioned members of the public against making payments for supposed slots.
She said GAF and Management discouraged payment of any forms of unapproved monies for recruitment into the force and emphasised that enrollment into the service was solely based on qualification.
She advised young people, who wished to be part of the GAF, to be serious with academic work, and debunking the notion that security services were for people who did not have good academic backgrounds.
Madam Adelaide Ekua Otto, Senior Programmes Officer, KAIPTC, said the Centre had worked with the GAF since 2019 in promoting its gender mainstreaming agenda with different engagements at various levels.
She said the engagements with several institutions across the country had revealed students’ excitement, which proved that the sensitisation would go a long way to inform the career choices of students.
She urged students to be mindful of gender opportunities in certain fields, particularly the GAF and take advantage of them.
GNA