A scene at the celebration of the IDG
As part of promoting and advancing the rights of children and young people, with a special focus on achieving equality for girls, Plan International Ghana, has organised an event to celebrate the International Day of the Girl (IDG).
The IDG celebration took place at the Commonwealth Conference Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon, under the theme, “Unite for Peace”.
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Constant Tchona, said their goal for this year’s IDG is to ensure “girls and all civilian rights are protected during conflict”, indicating that it is a perfect time to call for peace, as Ghana approaches its general election on December 7, 2024.
As a build-up to the IDG, he said, Plan International Ghana has been working to promote the rights of girls.
“Our She Leads Project’s Girl-Friendly manifesto has demonstrated the power of youth-led initiatives in shaping a brighter future for girls and the areas highlighted in the girl-friendly manifesto are education, health, employment and leadership,” he said.
According to him, the organisation’s Alumni Network led the advocacy campaign on the “No Pad Tax Campaign.” which was subsequently joined by other organisations and led to the removal of taxes on locally produced sanitary pads.
He indicated that, the collective effort with other partners has also led to the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, now the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Law.
This milestone, he said, brings a sigh of relief as it seeks to promote the progressive and active participation of women in public life, increasing from a minimum of 30% to 50% by 2030, in line with the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of achieving gender equality by 2030.
According to him, the Girl Takeover initiative, which has empowered over 1,000 girls worldwide since 2016, challenges stereotypes and promotes gender equality by allowing girls to step into leadership roles.
Also, Mr. Tchona said, this year’s IDG is enriched with diverse activities such as, raising awareness through social media, mentoring over 1000 girls in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), career development and leading girls into media discussions.
Shedding more lights on why the protection of girl’s right during conflict is critical, he indicated that, a study shows that conflict robs children of their childhood and exposes them to fear and violence.
He then urged governments, stakeholders, as well as decision-makers around the world to take immediate action for girls in conflict areas by implementing ceasefires, engaging in meaningful peace talks, and ensuring that girls and young people’s voices are heard and their needs are met.
National Director of World Vision Ghana Laura Christina Del Valle, said the theme, ‘Unite for Peace’ conveys the need to address girls’ challenges, promote girls’ empowerment and protect girls’ human rights.
“By providing the appropriate resources and opportunities, we can empower the world’s more than 1.1 billion girls to thrive,” she said.
Chief of education for UNICEF Ghana, Christin McConnell appreciated Plan International Ghana for organising the ‘She Leads’ conference, advocating that, the rights of girls must be protected.
She said, “We know that girls are not just the future, they are the present, shaped in their unique perspectives, resilience and determination”.
She mentioned that, to ensure a better future for girls, they must invest in their education, protect their rights and provide them with the resources they need to achieve.
By Janet Odei Amponsah & Vera Owusu