By Yussif Ibrahim
Agogo (Ash), Oct. 13, GNA – The Erudite Women’s Empowerment Foundation (EWEF) in commemoration of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child, has engaged female students of Agogo State and Collins Senior High Schools on how they could overcome the inequality barriers as girls.
The event also sought to build the confidence of the girls to enable them to reach their potentials through education as Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark the day on the theme, “Girls’ Vision for the Future.”
It also formed part of the ‘She Lead’ Project being implemented by a consortium of five organisations with a strategic objective of increasing sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.
Erudite Women’s Empowerment Foundation, which is a community-based partner of the project in the Asante-Akim enclave, therefore, organised the event to engage the girls in the role they could play in shaping decision-making at all levels of development.
Over 5000 girls in the last seven years have been impacted by the Foundation in collaboration with like-minded organisations and individuals through the implementation of transformative programmes in the Asante-Akim area.
Mrs. Constance Ohenewaa Ankoma, Executive Director of EWEF, in an opening address, said the engagement was to recognise the achievements of girls and acknowledge the immense potentials of each of them.
She said the theme for the celebration served as a reminder of the importance of ensuring that every girl, no matter where she came from, had the opportunity to realise her dreams and shape the world.
“It is therefore a call to action for all of us gathered here to create pathways of opportunities and to dismantle the barriers of inequality that still persist in our society,” she pointed out.
She said EWEF was committed to amplifying the voices of girls and young women while ensuring their safety and supporting them with tools and resources they needed to thrive.
“You are the leaders and change makers. You are not just the future, you are the present and the world is listening to you and your voices are powerful beyond measure so let no one dim your lights,” she implored the girls.
Ms. Tanya Morgan Dixon, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, GirlTrek USA, underscored the need for girls to always believe in themselves if they want to succeed in life.
“I encourage every one of you. You cannot achieve what you do not believe in, and I do not care about what anybody tells you, you can achieve anything you believe in,” she inspired them.
She told them stories about two great women whose singular action significantly impacted their communities, saying that they achieved those feat as teenagers and urged the girls to live their dreams.
GNA