Traditional and religious leaders have again been implored to take steps to abolish all forms of cultural and religious practices that violate the rights of women and children.
The CEO of an NGO, Social Initiative for Literacy and Development Program (SILDEP), Moses Dramani Luri who made the appeal mentioned female genital mutilation, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, betrothal, elopement and domestic servitude as some of the harmful practices.
Mr. Luri was speaking at a Regional Stakeholders meeting for Champions of Change, Child Protection Network and Youth Advocates in the Upper West Region at Wa.
GBCs Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo reports that the meeting was aimed at reviewing the progress of the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) Project which is being implemented by SILDEP in partnership with Plan International Ghana with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Luri urged the media to do more in exposing perpetrators of abuse against women and children in the country.
The CEO of SILDEP equally stressed the necessity for the government of Ghana to adequately resource law enforcement agencies for them to appropriately respond to gender based violence.
Mr. Luri tasked traditional and religious leaders to make further commitment against harmful socio-cultural practices, saying In addition, denounce all forms of negative cultural and religious practices that affect the dignity, development and the rights of women and children in Ghana.
Upper West, Sissala West, Sissala East, Wa West and various communities in Upper East.
Mr. Luri also expressed worry about illegal rosewood harvest and smuggling of fertilizer and called on the government and MDCEs to step up efforts to stamp out the menace.
A Youth Advocate, Miss Hibatu Adam talked about the goal of the project.
She said Our goal is to create an Upper West where there is gender equality and empowerment for women and girls.
Good quality of and equal education for girls and boys.
Good work for all, economic growth that benefits everyone, and finally creating a society that is peaceful, just and has a strong institution that benefits all.
An Economic Development Specialist of Plan International Ghana, Kamal Deen Habib, shared the reason for working with traditional and religious leaders as champions of change on the GAA Project.
We believe that as champions of change, they have a lot of networks and these networks, we cannot pay money to acquire the networks that they have, but we can reach them, so that they will lead us to their networks in order to create the change we so desire, Mr. Habib added.
The Focal Person of Girls Advocacy Alliance Project, Ibrahim Wasor mentioned access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for girls and young women as one of the four key themes of the project, and called on parents change perception about technical and vocational courses and enroll their children.
Story by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
