CARD-Ghana engages stakeholders on progress, impact of She Leads project  

The Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD-Ghana), in partnership with Plan International Ghana, has held a stakeholder engagement to review and assess the impact of the She Leads project interventions in the Upper West Region since its inception in 2021. 

The engagement also provided a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the project’s future direction to ensure the continued empowerment of girls and young women beyond the project’s lifespan. 

Traditional leaders, Assembly members, representatives from Ghana Education Service and Department of Gender, among others, attended the engagement held in Wa. 

Mrs Joyce Obenewa Darko, the She Leads Project Manager at Plan International Ghana, addressing the participants, said the project had recorded significant successes in empowering girls to take up leadership roles, particularly in male-dominated areas. 

She appreciated the efforts of the stakeholders in supporting the project implementation at all levels, including schools and communities, urging them to continue championing the cause even after the project had ended. 

Mrs Darko emphasised the need to amplify the voices of marginalised groups and break negative norms and barriers that hinder the active participation of girls and young women in leadership and decision-making processes. 

“You, our stakeholders, remain key partners to help create an inclusive society for children and young people through tackling the root causes of the challenges they face, especially girls and vulnerable children”, she said. 

Ms Ernestina Biney, the Acting Executive Director of CARD-Ghana, called on the stakeholders to sustain the commitment to their roles as champions of change in their communities. 

She said, “Our collective and deliberate efforts are key to changing negative norms and breaking barriers affecting girls and young women in our communities and institutions.” 

Ms Biney urged the participants to create a resilient and protective environment for girls and young women to thrive, which would also help facilitate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Some stakeholders at the engagement expressed gratitude to CARD-Ghana and Plan International Ghana for their partnership in addressing negative social norms and pledged their commitment to sustaining the gains made under the project. 

Mr James Baba Anabiga, the Speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, observed that the She Leads project had helped increase the confidence of girls and young women to participate in male-dominated roles in society, including the Youth Parliament. 

He, therefore, urged the stakeholders to create protective environments for girls and young people in their communities to help sustain those gains. 

The She Leads project aims to increase the sustained influence of Girls and Young Women on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in both formal and informal institutions.  

The project was implemented in the Sagu, Chansa, Nyagli, Chegli and Kperisi communities; Wa Islamic, Jamiat Girls, T. I. Ahmadiyya, Wa Senior High Technical and Wa Senior High Schools and the Wa Technical Institute in the Wa Municipality. 

Source: GNA