Accra, Oct. 12, GNA – On the occasion of International Day For the Girl Child, the non-governmental organisation, Hope For Future Generations (HFFG), has called on stakeholders to invest in the future of young girls in Ghana.
The Organisation wants the plight of women and young girls, especially in mining communities to be addressed by the relevant state and non-state institutions.
It said though Ghana was making progress in ensuring gender parity in basic school enrollment, some barriers such as economic hardship “continue to threaten girls’ empowerment and their participation in social and political spaces.”
“Due to high youth unemployment, some girls in mining communities are engaged in illegal mining (child labour), with life-threatening consequences in view of the chemicals used in the activities.
“Many are exposed to poisoning by lead dust, with health consequences and deaths. The socioeconomic dislocation has landed some in sex work and drug use,” HFFG said in a release copied to Ghana News Agency.
It said girls in some of the mining communities often had their dreams shuttered due to early pregnancy, therefore, efforts must be made to save them from such situations.
“We encourage all stakeholders to recommit to the cause of the Ghanaian girl and invest in her for a better future…As the fight against illegal mining in the country intensifies, we urge stakeholders to pay attention to the plights of girls in the mining communities, give them a voice, and help shape their vision for the future,” the statement added.
The Organisation quoted statistics from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, indicating that about 80,000 girls aged 12 to 17 were “already married or living with a man.”
To that end, HFFG said it would continue to work with partners and implement projects that empowered Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) aged 10 to 24.
The projects, it added, would include workshops and mentorship sessions to help “develop leadership, communication, and advocacy skills.”
“Through these interventions, HFFG aims to achieve increased acceptance of positive social gender norms, enhanced collective action by AGYW in civil society, and their political participation in decision-making.
“This is to ensure the sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.
“The interventions focus on all girls in their diversities including girls living with HIV for increased care and treatment across the HIV care cascade,” it stated.
HFFG commended partners and stakeholders who continued to work towards the well-being of girls in Ghana, adding that such efforts must be sustained.
International Day of the Girl Child, marked October 11, every year, focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
HFFG, which works to empower women, children, and youth, seeks to improve the well-being and quality of life of individuals and communities.
GNA