ActionAid Held Sensitization Camp For Girls and Women’s Rights

Report by Laud Nartey

A two-week sensitization programme dubbed: “ActionaAid Boys and Girls Camp” for young pupils from across the country is currently underway. The programme focuses on the need of for young boys to respect the rights of girls and women in general.

 The programme is one of ActionAid Ghana’s flagship and innovative ways of promoting fundamental rights in education to ensure gender parity in schools towards a violence-free learning environment. Every year, ActionAid Ghana brings together boys and girls drawn from various regional communities to participate in a 10-day national camp in Accra.
At these camps, children between the ages of 11 to 15 are given useful lessons on public speaking, writing skills and lectures on career choices by astute professionals and role models, to improve the confidence and assertiveness of the girls and change stereotypical masculine attitudes towards girls and women.
The first of its kind was in 2011 and was based on the theme “Creating Champions to End Violence against Girls.” This year’s theme is “Passion for Action: Enhancing Masculine Attitude to End Gender-Based Violence.
Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Country Director for ActionAid Ghana, during the opening ceremony of this year’s edition, in Accra last week, indicated that education was one of the main thematic areas that took huge budget of the organization, implying the premium placed on education. He emphasized that the camp was to help the young boys “to be champions of girls and women’s rights.”
Mr. Abdul-Rahman encouraged the pupils to take their education seriously in order to make meaningful impacts on the society irrespective of their places of abode.
He disclosed that the attention placed on the young pupils fit well into the popular adage “catch them young and they shall be yours forever” implying that at this age, they would be able to grasp the messages and grow with it.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Executive Director for ABANTU for Development, also stated that the event was very empowering because of the issues at the centre of it. As an advocate for women empowerment, she advised the pupils to learn more about women and continue to respect their sisters and mothers at home and in school.
Anis Haffer, Founder of Gate, also asked the pupils to respect and use their time wisely. The wise use of time he said could create wealth and improve the standard of living of the people in the society.
He admonished them to ensure discipline among them because this will enable them to realize their ultimate goals in life.