A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), ‘Defence for Children International (DCI), has called on , the media to promote equal rights of women and girls in decision making in the various societies.
Releasing a press statement during the celebration of International Day of African Child which occurs every 16th June on this year’s theme: “Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy & Practice since 2013”, Faustina Osei Prempeh, Ashanti Regional leader of DCI said, almost all the huge positions in our country are in the care of men being political, social, traditional among others and this shouldn’t be so but should be possessed by all genders.
She disclosed that, young women and girls belonging to disadvantaged groups face multiple discrimination in their daily lives, which significantly diminishes their motivation and opportunities for active engagement and participation in public and political processes. These include women and girls with low educational attainment, low-income, unemployed, rural women, women with disabilities, women in forced or early marriages, women from ethnic/religious minorities, refugees, internally displaced women, women living with HIV/AIDS, drug addicts, women serving sentences and more. They are more exposed to public prejudice and stereotypes, intolerance, discrimination, and social exclusion. For women who belong to a marginalized and/or minority group, additional challenges, such as legal, political, and cultural constraints, prevent them from full and equal participation due to interconnected systems of power.
As a result, her outfit has partnered several NGOs to come up with “She Leads Project” to raise awareness on the harmful practices and negative gender norms affecting girls and young women’s rights and their meaningful participation in leadership and decision making.
She mentioned that as ‘She Leads Project ’ embarks on its work, the government and all stakeholders, especially the media should also help to fight for the rights of children and women to attain a better future for the nation.
She Leads Project
‘She Leads Project’ is an initiative of Plan International Netherlands (PIN), Defence for Children – ECPAT the Netherlands (DCI-ECPAT), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), and Terre des Hommes the Netherlands (TdH) with funding support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at increasing sustained influence of girls and young women (GYW) on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions. The consortium envisages to achieve this goal by working through three interrelated domains: Central to the She Leads programme is the enhancement of collective action of girls and young women in a gender-responsive civil society (civil society domain), support by increased acceptance of positive social gender norms (socio-cultural domain) and by enabling meaningful participation of girls and young women in decision-making by formal and informal institutions (institutional domain).
In Ghana, the project is being implemented by 4 consortium partners: Defence for Children International (DCI) Ghana, Plan International Ghana, Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCed) and Women’s Aspire Network’s (WAN) in the following regions.
a. Ashanti
b. Central
c. Greater Accra
d. Upper West
e. Northeast
f. Western North
In the Ashanti Region, the project is being implemented in Asante Akim North, Asokore Mampong, Bosome Freho, Bosomtwe, Kumasi and Obuasi Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), by DCI Ghana, Erudite Women’s Empowerment Foundation (EWEF) and Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG).
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/ Joseph Marfo
