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Four hundred and seventy-six students from some senior high schools in the Central Region have attended an empowerment outreach aimed at preparing them for their future careers.
The participants were also taken through sexual and gender-based violence, its consequences and how to deal with perpetrators.
It was also to encourage them to stay in school and work to achieve their aspirations.
The two-day summit was also to help shape the participants into assertive boys and girls who would focus on their education to attain their goals and aspirations.
The summit was organised by the Central Regional Department of Gender, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Central Regional Coordinating Council.
The department moved through schools including the Komenda Senior High Technical School, Edinaman Senior High School, Edina Eguafo Abrem Senior High School, Mfantsipim School, Adisadel College and St Augustine's College.
The participants were taken through topics including time management, sexual and gender-based violence and defilement.
The Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Ms Richlove Amamoo, in her remarks, advised the participants to build good testimony for themselves through the way they talk, dress and respond to issues.
She added that it was time for young girls and boys to abstain from sexual immoralities to prevent teenage pregnancies.
Ms Amamoo observed that data available indicated that adolescent pregnancy was very high in the region, as a result of factors including cohabitation, parental neglect and poverty.
She indicated that this is the stage they are expected to undergo education and rigorous training in order for them to become responsible citizens in future.
She advised the participants to study hard and be well-focused to achieve their goals and aspirations in life and to be selective when choosing friends.
The Girls Education Officer of Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem, Olivia Agyiewaa Afful, said most of the participants had less or no knowledge about defilement and what the laws say about it.
Therefore, considering the success of the event, she pleaded with NGOs and stakeholders to support the Department of Gender to organise another summit for the participants to enlighten them more on defilement and gender-based violence.
She advised them to stay chaste in order to be free from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) so that they could live better and healthier lives.
Busumuru Aldrich Nhyira, a participant from Adisadel College, said the summit had been very educative and inspirational, saying he had learnt new things about gender based-violence and defilement and thanked the Department of Gender for organising the summit.
