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Ms. Ernestina Biney, the Acting Executive Director of the Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD) Ghana, has emphasised the need for collective efforts to empower women and girls to achieve their dreams and for community and national development.
She indicated that certain challenges, including traditional norms still exist in societies, restricting girls from participating in decision-making processes and building self-confidence, which in turn limited their contribution to national development.
Ms. Biney said this in Wa, during an event to commemorate the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) on the theme: "Girl's Vision for the Future".
The She Leads Social Movement, an activist group under the She Leads project, organised the event in partnership with CARD-Ghana and the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED).
The celebration commenced with a street march along some principal streets of Wa and climaxed with a forum, which brought together activists to inspire girls to acknowledge their potential and strive for leadership roles.
Ms. Biney stressed the importance of a unified approach to breaking the barriers against females' active participation in decision-making and leadership, among others, and encouraging girls to recognise their strengths.
She said the interventions by CARD-Ghana including the She Leads project aimed to create opportunities for girls to contest leadership positions, participate in decision-making, and access education and resources, among others. "Our goal is to help girls identify themselves as leaders, recognise their potential, and take their education seriously," she stated.
"We believe girls can lead just as effectively as men. If a woman can manage a household, she can manage a community or even a nation" Ms. Biney emphasised.
Ms. Shamira Napiini, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the She Leads Social Movement, noted that women had the potential to excel when given equal opportunities.
"When a woman puts her mind to something, she accomplishes it remarkably. We define a woman by what she believes she can achieve," she stated.
Ms. Napiini acknowledged the progress made so far in that regard but indicated that women still faced challenges such as stigmatisation, negative societal norms, and lack of confidence, which hindered them from taking certain initiatives in society.
She called on parents, community members, and policymakers to support girls' education and empowerment.
"We've come a long way, but there is still much work to be done. We need to provide girls with equal opportunities like their male counterparts," she said.
