By Lindsay Abbey
About 200 girls at the lower primary level at Amanfrom in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have benefited from a mentorship programme organised by “Partners in the Promotion of the Wellbeing of the Girl Child”.
The programme seeks to, among other things, empower the girls to remain focused on their education.
Though International Day of the Girl Child is marked on October 11, “Partners in the Promotion of the Wellbeing of the Girl Child” say paying attention to issues of the girl child should go beyond that day.
Research indicates that nearly 1 in 5 girls are still not able to complete lower-secondary education, and nearly 4 in 10 girls are not able to complete upper-secondary school.
This is even worse in certain regions. In this age of ICT, it is estimated that 90 per cent of adolescent girls and young women do not use the internet in low-income countries, while their male peers are twice as likely to be online.
Globally, girls aged 5–14 spend 160 million more hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work than their male counterparts of the same age. This unequal distribution of unpaid work intensifies in adolescence, with serious implications for girls’ well-being.
To help address these challenges, Right To Play and Education Partners have reiterated the need for increased attention and resources in the key areas that enable girls to realise their rights and achieve their full potential.
The girls were taken through topics including career opportunities, literacy progamme, sexual and reproductive health, menstrual health, and courtesy for girls.
Right To Play and Partners commended government for implementing the free Senior high school policy, which has given equal opportunities to girls to further their education.
They advised the girls to take their education very seriously to enable them to achieve their aspirations and also urged parents to make investment in their children’s education a top priority.
The 2023 International Day of the Girl Child was themed: “Invest in Girls Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being”.
