A Girls/Gender Education Club for Teshie LEKMA 10 and 12 Basic schools have been launched to empower girls and help reduce sexual violence in schools.
The event, organised by Reverend Mrs Hannah Odjenma Botchway, the Girls Education Co-ordinator, of the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Education Directorate, was to mark the International Women’s Day celebration and ensure that the rights and safety of the girl-child are adequately secured as well as train both boys and girls to become good leaders in the country.
The theme: “Be Bold for Change,” is to enable the girls to be confident and report abuse cases meted out them in all forms and stay safe in the environment.
Dr James Dakyi Clayman, an Obsterician and Gynaecologist of LEKMA Hospital and Member of Domestic Violence Coalition, said the initiative was a good one as abuses metered out to children including defilement and rape were on the rise in the municipality.
He said the club would, therefore, encourage the pupils to be bold, have influence and change situations in their lives.
Dr Clayman advised the girls to forget about their background and rather be determined to become whatever they wished for in the future.
“The world can never move without you. Stand your grounds and make change in your family, community, towns, the country and the world at large.
“For the members of the club, know your worth, be assertive, be focused and move forward to achieve your purpose in live. You definitely can make it,” he said.
Rev. Mrs Botchway urged the girls to take the activities of the club seriously and use them as tools to develop themselves to become great women in future.
She said girls needed to place value on themselves, remain positive and not declare themselves as failures.
“Break the culture of silence and report abuse cases and do not rely on boys because it is the root cause of all the issues confronting girls.”
She, therefore, called on boys and men to actively get involved in eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.
Mrs Ivy Akosua Adjei-Twum, the Ledzokuku North Circuit Supervisor of Teshie, said the club came at the right time because it had now made the girls aware, thereby reducing such cases.
She, therefore, asked that the club be extended to all the schools within the circuit for all to benefit.
Mrs Lilian Okae-France, the Head Teacher of Teshie LEKMA 10 and 12 Basic schools, appealed to parents to effectively supervise their wards to curb the menace.
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