Human Rights Reporters 
Tamale, Oct. 18, Songtaba in partnership with Plan International Ghana has celebrated this year’s International Day of the Girl Child to promote girls rights in the rural areas.
The event held at Walewale in the North East region was on the theme: “Our time is now—our rights, our future”, was collaborated with the West Mamprusi Ghana Education Service (Girls Education Unit), Department of Social Welfare and Community Development as part of She Lead program Implemented by Plan International Ghana in connection with Songtaba.
It was to help create awareness to ensure that the rights of girls are being protected and also create safe spaces for them in their communities.
Mr Mohammed Amidu Alhassan, Senior Programmes Officer at Songtaba said for the past decade, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to be part of making in their communities, yet, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential made worse each day.
He urge traditional leaders to support stakeholders to promote girls rights in participating in leadership position in the communities.
Alhaji Wahab Ibrahim, the Director of Social Welfare and Community Development said due to some gender stereotype the girl child has been relegated or limited to the domestic work only.
“It is time as societies we empowered girls with the needed skills and opportunities and the relevant spaces created for them to make their future brighter”.
He however called on parents, government, civil society organizations, chiefs and religious leaders to join hands to invest more in to girls education for them to be good leaders in the society.
He equally urged parents to ensure that children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care, as well as taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best of life.
Alhaji Ibrahim also advised parents to stop forcing their girl to early marriages or asking them to go and do head porting in the cities but rather educate them by sending them to school as part of poverty reduction in the communities.
Madam Rhoda Ramatu Zakari, the Girls Education Officer for West Mamprusi Municipal Education Directorate stated that most of the challenges girls faces has to do with parental neglect which forces them to look for other ways of getting their needs.
She urged girls to concentrate on their books rather than doing things that will truncate their future aspirations.
Madam Abdulai Fauzia Nantogmah Gender Desk Officer from the Walewale Municipal Assembly note that girls form majority of world’s population and that there was the need for parents and other stakeholders to join hands in fighting for the rights of these girls.
He called on stakeholders to address challenges especially at the policy level to ensure that the rights of girls are protected as it is enshrined in the children’s Act 1998 (ACT 560) where it provide for the rights of the child, maintenance and adoption, regulate child Labour and apprenticeship.
As part of the program Plan International Ghana with Songtaba has built the capacities of some of these girls when it comes to leaderships and public speaking and creating safe spaces for girl’s to reach their full potentials.
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