The durbar was also used to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the GEU.

Attended by chiefs, queenmothers, community opinion leaders and schoolchildren, the occasion was characterised by a host of activities, including a procession of school- children through the principal streets of Bamiankor and Anibil, a parade by the Gwiraman Community Senior High School cadet, drama performances, poetry and speeches.

Speaking on the theme: “Our Time Is Now: Our Rights, Our Future,” the Director of Girls Education Unit (GEU), Benedicta Tenni Seidu, underscored the importance of educating the Ghanaian girl and urged parents to focus their attention on that.

She indicated that the management of GES had, through various directives, removed all administrative barriers to the education of girls and “so parents and everyone should take advantage of this and send your girl-child to school.”

“Even if that girl has got pregnant or given birth, we are not throwing her away. She is still a Ghanaian child, whose right to education is guaranteed both by God and law,” she emphasised.

Cultural misconceptions

The Paramount Chief (Omanhene) of the Gwirae Traditional Area, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II, who chaired the durbar, entreated parents and community members to forgo all cultural misconception about the education of girls and rather invest their resources to educate their daughters.

He observed that from his own experience as a father of six daughters and two sons, female children were kind, considerate and supportive to their aging parents than their male siblings.

He explained that daughters tended to respond to the socio-economic needs of their parents in their old age, which should inform the investment in their education.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Nzema East, Elizabeth Dorcas Amoah, implored parents to take advantage of all the good interventions by the government, including the Free SHS policy and school feeding programme, to send their children, especially the girls, to school.

Other speakers at the durbar, including the Municipal Director of Education (MDE) for Effia Kwesimintsim, Catherine Andoh Mensah, the Queenmother of Gwira Bansa, Nana Adwomonzi II, the MDE for Nzema East, Nathaniel K. Effum, and the Headmistress of GWIRASEC, Agartha Mensah, all emphasised the importance of girls’ education.

Day of Girl Child

The IDGC is a global calendar event observed on October 11 each year, to raise awareness of the obstacles that girls face, and to also celebrate and reinforce their achievements.

In the last three years, Management of the GES, through the GEU, has selected one community or district to host a national durbar, starting with Sakora (La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal in the Greater Accra Region) in 2020 and Aburi (Akuapem South Municipal in the Eastern Region) in 2021.

This year’s national durbar was used to sensitise the community members to the prevention of pregnancy among schoolgirls and the facilitation of re-entry into school for young mothers.