The Kintampo Municipal Assembly has marked this year’s International Girl Child Day with a programme on the theme ‘Our Time is Now, Our Right Our Future”.
The day which is marked annually all over the world was celebrated in the municipality with a float on some principal street of the municipality with drumming and dancing.
Participants carried placards with inscriptions like; ‘Empowering Girls For a Brighter tomorrow’, ‘If You Educate a Girl, You Educate a Nation’, ‘Empower Girls For Nation Building’, ‘Girl Child Education Prevent Early Marriage’, ‘Girls Education Reduce Poverty’, among others.
The climax of the programme saw many school girls representing their schools with performances such as drama competition, poetry recitals and cultural dance.
The Municipal Education Director Mr. Sylvester Opoku in his address outlined some of the importance of education to the girl child in our societies, communities and nation at large “notwithstanding the saying that the place of the girl is in the kitchen” he said.
Mr. Opoku added that, the Kintampo Municipal education sector has seen the need for girl child education that is why a girl model school was put up to support education of the girls in the municipality.
His advised the girls to take their studies serious to attain good grates after school and become like some of the prominent women in the world holding very important positions.
He added that, girls in the municipality have been awarded in different skills of their school including sciences, mathematics among others. He said “what a man can do a women can equally do better” and for that matter they should aspire to attain those higher positions.
The Municipal Chief Executive’s representative, Mrs. Beatrice Ayariga in her address gave a brief historical background of International Girl Child Day and asked all to study hard for them to be recognized internationally.
She said the society should own the girl child education and give more care, love and moral support for them to study.
She again asked teachers and parents to all put hands on deck to support the girl child to make it in the future. “Girl should also be serious in their studies and take care of themselves by abstaining from pre-marital sex, and other social activities which can cause harm in their education.
Participants including Nananom, GNAT, DOVVSU, Department of Social Welfare, the representative of the Member of Parliament, the Youth Authority all took their turns to advice girls on good behavior and who to call in case of problem and also outlined activities some of them are working on to take care of the youth in the municipality, most especially the girl child.
The Municipal Girl Child Coordinator Madam Janet Addu-Baah in her address stressed on the importance of girl child education. “This is why this annual event is meant to create awareness for the education of a girl child to become empowered women all over the world” she added.
Madam Adu-Baah stated that, barriers and practice such as, female genital mutilation (FGM), early or forced child marriages, sexual abuse of the girl child and many more have come to hinder girl child education
She added that it is for such reasons that non- governmental organisation (NGOs) such as UNICEF, National Gender Policy among others have come to support this important programme to help girls for development and for liberation.
She asked the public to support a girl child for a better future and that, “as today being a crucial day worldwide, a day to internationally celebrate the girl child, this year’s theme is more action oriented as it calls for girls to enjoy their rights now for better future” she said.
