Teenage girls participate in mentorship summit
One-hundred and thirty teenage girls have participated in a four-day mentorship and empowerment summit in Cape coast.
The participants, who also included teachers, were from Ajumako-Enyan Essiam, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo Abrem, Assin South, Upper Denkyira West and Ekumfi.
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Opening the summit in Cape Coast, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Cynthia Morrison, said efforts at empowering girls would make little impact if boys were not given equal attention.
She said, “If the boys are not included in these empowerment programmes the girls would go back and the boys would convince them and bring these efforts to nought,” adding that the ministry was not only for girls but for both sexes.
The minister argued that while it was important to step up efforts to get girls enlightened on adolescent sexuality, boys must not be left out of such education.
She advised the girls not to be deceived by money to enter sexual activities but focus on their books and set their minds to achieve great things.
Abstinence
Mrs Morrison emphasised that while adolescent reproductive health services would be provided for adolescents, abstinence should always be their first choice, indicating that the services were not to encourage them to engage in sex as young people.
The Regional Director of Gender, Mrs Thywill Kpe, said the empowerment summit was to serve as a learning platform for adolescent girls to learn about their sexual and reproductive health rights and also meet female mentors from diverse professional backgrounds.
She said over the last three years, 170 girls had been mentored directly while more than 5000 girls had been reached indirectly through the school mentorship outreach programmes by the Department of Gender.
The Chief Director at the Ministry of GCSP, Dr Comfort Asare, urged the girls to stay away from irresponsible sexual behaviours that could hinder their development.
Services and information
In a statement, the Regional Public Health Nurse, Mrs Beatrice Esssilfie, said the Ghana Health Service was collaborating with the Department of Gender and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure that adolescents were provided with adequate services and information on sexuality in order to help them make informed decisions on their sexuality and lifestyles.
The Regional Focal Person of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr David Allan Paintsil, advised the girls to take their studies seriously and avoid acts that would stall their socio-economic advancement.