This was announced at the maiden inauguration of the YALI Network held in Accra, to ensure that every girl child irrespective of background, upbringing and colour was given the required nurturing and accorded the needed respect.

Ms Rosemond Quaye Dzimah, the Country Coordinator for YALI Network Ghana Chapter, said many young girls possessed talents, gifts and potentials that needed to be realised and unearthed to build and shape families, nations and the world.

She described women as brilliant vessels that possessed knowledge and wisdom just as a man did, adding that; “they must not be taken for granted because they have a special ability to live strongly on the outside even though they might be dying inside”.

“The girl child deserves good education because if you educate her, you educate a nation. She does not deserve to be abused or used as a sex object to be sexually exploited or be a poor victim of the streets”.

Ms Dzimah said the girl child was a “think tank” that deliberated on issues, took wise decisions as well as added value to many masculine voices to make a difference. She urged all to give the girl child a chance to prove herself worthy, able, wise and display great substance in society.

YALI would support the girl child to “say no to ill vices such as rape, kidnap, slavery and child labour,” she said. Nana Ogyedom Ama Tsetsewa I, the Divisional Chief of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council, announced that, the project for the girl child would take place annually to help in the developmental stages of girls.

She said the girl child was a national asset and thus, they, like men should also occupy top positions all over the world. Nana Tsetsewa I said the issue of the girl child roaming the streets just to make a living was a wrong mentality and urged all girls to get off the streets and grow responsibly so that they would be celebrated for their contributions towards the development of their society and the country at large.

The YALI Network was launched in 2010 to support young African Leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, to strengthen democratic governance and enhance peace and security across Sub-Sahara countries.

Mr Ibe Obinna, the initiator of YALI, out of his quest to give a voice to the girl child organised the event dubbed "give her a chance" to fully integrate the girl child into the society, by helping the less privileged through school and access justice for the marginalised.