CARD Ghana trains Senior High students on leadership and gender equality under She Leads project

Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD Ghana), an NGO, has organized a one-day capacity-building training for students from six senior high schools in the Upper West Region, aimed at equipping them with leadership skills and deepening their understanding of gender equality.

The workshop, held on June 21, 2025, in Wa, brought together She Leads Club members from Wa Senior High, Wa Senior High Technical, Wa Technical Institute, T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High, Jamiat Islamic Girls Senior High, and Islamic Senior High Schools.

The training formed part of the She Leads Project being implemented in the Upper West Region by CARD Ghana in partnership with Plan International Ghana.

The She Leads Project Coordinator and Acting Executive Director of CARD Ghana, Madam Ernestina Biney, explained that the session was designed to “build the confidence, public speaking and leadership abilities of young girls.”

She emphasized the need for equal opportunities for both boys and girls, stating, “It is very important that our girls understand the importance of taking up leadership positions and how their contribution can change their societies.”

The training also focused on menstrual hygiene and breaking the stigma around menstruation, WITH A SESSION led by Madam Amalia Vuu-die, a nurse from St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Jirapa.

She described menstruation as a “natural phenomenon” and debunked common misconceptions, saying, “People believe menstruation is dirty, but it’s not. I use my hands to cook, not my reproductive system.”

She added that addressing period stigma and ensuring access to sanitary products was vital to keeping girls in school, especially those from rural communities.

“It's not only those in school who need menstrual pads. Those who have dropped out due to stigma or poverty also deserve support,” she commented at the backdrop of government’s announcement to provide sanitary to schools girls.

On the legal side, Madam Naemah Abdullah, Gender Desk Officer at the Legal Aid Commission, who led a session on girls' rights and the 1992 Constitution, urged students to know and claim their rights.

“Girls are no less than boys. They must be given the same opportunities and protection under the law,” she said.

She called for stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and more education to challenge harmful social norms, particularly early marriages and unequal access to higher education.

Ms Zila Fauzia Seidu, a She Leads club mentor for Wa Senior High Technical School, expressed pride in how the girls participated openly.

“They were not shy. They asked important questions about their bodies and legal rights, and that shows how such platforms are building their confidence,” she said.

She highlighted the growing ambition among her mentees, many of whom were preparing for student leadership positions in their schools.

“They are reading their manifestos and preparing to lead. One of my girls even plans to replicate She Leads activities when she goes to tertiary,” she said.

Fauzia also spoke of how mentorship has helped girls open up and dream big, sharing that several of her mentees aspire to careers in medicine and nursing, to give back to society.

The She Leads Project, a five-year initiative that began in 2021, continues to create safe spaces for girls to thrive through training, mentorship and rights education, fulfilling its goal of increasing the sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and transforming gender norms in formal and informal institutions.