Defence for Children International organises refresher training for girls, young women

The Defence for Children International-Ghana (DCI), an organisation committed to the promotion of the rights of children, has organised a refresher training for girls and young women in Kumasi.The training, which focused on the re-entry policy for teenage mothers as well as time diary and community scorecard tools, formed parts of the 'She Leads Project', being implemented by DCI-Ghana in partnership with other community-based organisations.'She Leads Project' is a five-year initiative with a strategic objective to increase the sustained influence of girls and young women in decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.In line with the objectives of the project, the refresher training also sought to equip participants to promote the rights of girls and young women and their inclusion in leadership and decision-making processes.Participants were drawn from all the implementing districts as well as partner organisations, including Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG), and Erudite Women Empowerment Foundation (EWEF).Among the topics discussed were the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, Equitable distribution of household chores, Registration of minors during voter registration, and the Protection of girls during political party campaigns.Some selected participants expressed their views on these topics as a panel by highlighting challenges facing girls and young women in society.They proffered various solutions and strategies that could be adopted to protect girls and young women and also amplify their voices in decision-making at all levels.They unanimously called for deliberate policies that promote inclusivity and participation of women, the marginalised and the vulnerable to ensure no one was left behind in the development agenda as a country.Ms. Vivian Boateng, Project Officer for DCI-Ghana, said the training was a routine exercise held periodically under the 'She Leads Project' to empower girls to actively participate in decisio n-making.She said the goal was to build their confidence to be able to step forward and contribute to issues that go into decisions at all levels of development.'We want to change the narratives about how girls are overburdened with household chores while their male counterparts have the luxury of time to attend to their books,' she noted.She underlined the need for women to be given equal opportunities to reach their potential so they could contribute meaningfully to national development.Ms. Boateng encouraged the media to advocate for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, which she believed would fundamentally address most of the issues hindering the progress of women.Madam Aba Oppong, the Executive Director of RRIG, who took the participants through the re-entry policy for teenage mothers, explained that having sex with a girl below 16 years was defilement even when it was consensual per the Children's Act.She called for a review of the re-entry policy to address the gaps identified after seven years of implementation.According to her, despite parents committing to bring back their wards after they got pregnant, most of them failed to return to school.As part of the review, she proposed the construction of facilities where teenage mothers could keep their children while in school, saying that most parents were not ready to take care of their grandchildren to allow the girls to go to school.Source: Ghana News Agency