The Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG), has launched a girls' empowerment programme dubbed, "She Leads Project" in the Bosomtwe District.

The five-year project seeks to increase the sustained influence of Girls and Young Women (GYW) on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.

It is adopting socio-cultural, civil society and institutional domains to advocate for increased acceptance of GYW leadership and inclusion in decision-making processes at all levels.

The project is an initiative of a consortium made up of Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children International, African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) and Terre des Hommes the Netherlands.

Six regions in Ghana – Ashanti, Greater Accra, Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Central Regions are benefitting from the project.

In Ashanti, the project is being implemented in Bosomtwe, Bosome-Freho, Asanti-Akim North, Asokore Mampong, Kumasi and Obuasi.

The RRIG is the local partner implementing the project in Bosomtwe and Bosome-Freho on behalf of Defence for Children International Ghana.

As part of the launch of the project in Bosomtwe, a stakeholders' meeting has been held at Kuntanase to introduce the project to the various stakeholders to discuss their respective role in the project implementation.

It was attended by representatives from the District Assembly, Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Ghana Education Service (GES), women groups and selected teenage girls.

Madam Aba Oppong, the executive Director of RRIG, said the project would support increased acceptance of positive social gender norms and enhancement of collective action of GYW in a gender-responsive civil society.

She said it would also support the formation and strengthening of a social movement for girls' rights and gender equality.

The project, she said, would mobilise communities and role models through media advocacy to encourage GYW to aspire to take up leadership positions and contribute to national development.

Mr Joseph Asuming, the District Chief Executive (DCE) called for a multi-sectoral approach to create an enabling environment to propel girls to reach their potentials.

He said it was important for girls to focus on their education and take advantage of the Free Senior High School Policy, which had eliminated the gap between girls and boys in terms of access to education.