Officials of ActionAid Ghana, FORWARD UK and TuWezeshe Global Ghana with beneficiaries
ActionAid Ghana in partnership with FORWARD UK and TuWezeshe Global Ghana, has launched the TuWezeshe Akina Dada Leadership Programme in Tamale, the Northern region.
TuWezeshe Akina Dada (Swahili for “empowering our sisters”) is a bespoke leadership programme developed by the partners to build and empower young women aged 18–35 to become leaders and activists in the fight against Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
The TuWezeshe model rests on five pillars: feminist leadership training; a cash grant to enable trained young women to implement a Social Action Project (SAP) addressing VAWG; mentorship to support Fellows through their SAPs and the early stages of their leadership journey; a self-care component; and the creation of a sisterhood designed to ensure that the impact of TuWezeshe endures beyond the project period.
Northern Regional Programmes Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Madam Beatrice Yanman Bilje, noted that the first cohort of 21 young women completed training in 2025, and that in 2026 they trained a second cohort of 23 young women.
“After the training we provided them with grants and mentor support to implement their Social Action Projects (SAP). As they are being empowered, they are also being challenged to develop projects of interest that they would like to implement in their various communities to impact lives,” she said.
According to her, beneficiaries receive mentorship and resources to continue making an impact.
“We don’t leave them after the training, we provide them with experienced mentors who can guide them. We trust this second cohort will make us proud, and we intend to continue providing full support to ensure they impact others,” she noted.
A beneficiary, Sumaila Wumpini Salma, said the leadership training has boosted her public speaking abilities and prepared her to implement her social action project on sexual and reproductive health rights.
“The programme has positively impacted my life. I used to be very shy, but after the mentorship I now feel confident to speak in public, and it has also built my leadership skills as a woman, which will greatly help me during the implementation of our social action project,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mufidatu Ibrahim, said she learned a lot about feminism and will be an ambassador against violence targeting women and girls.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale