Members of the Sagu community in the Wa Municipality has, at a community level engagement, chartered a collective agenda for the inclusion of women, who hitherto were left out, at all levels of decision making that affects community development.
Community members came to a common understanding that the contributions of all members of the community, both male and female, were inherent to achieve sustainable growth and development in the community.
The engagement held on Sunday, October 2, 2022, brought together parents, caregivers and community leaders on a theme of transforming negative gender norms and gender inclusivity in decision making processes, under a Change Agents’ initiative by Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD Ghana).
It formed part of the comprehensive social inclusion project being implemented by the CARD Ghana under its She Leads campaign, a project aimed at breaking barriers that militate against females' meaningful involvement in decision making and leadership at the community, institutional and national levels.
Mr Alhassan Sumaila, a community change agent for CARD Ghana and community volunteer for Plan International Ghana, told Info Radio that the engagement was to promote girls and young women (GYW) leadership and inclusion in decision making at all levels.
He added that it was to encourage young women particularly to vie for public positions especially in the upcoming MMDA (local government) and general elections.
"It is also to harness the need for mothers to have a say before their young girls' hands are given out in marriage and before identity is to new born babies in the community," he stated.
Mr Sumaila advised girls and young women to be respectful members of the community as it was a matter that came up as a barrier to their leadership endorsement from their male counterparts.
He also encouraged young girls, especially those in school to take their education and trainings seriously so as to excel saying that, formal education was key to facilitate the inclusion of women in decision making processes.
He further encouraged the girls to take up leadership positions at all levels of their education advancement.
Princess Hawa Daari, a facilitator at the engagement and Wa West District Gender Desk Officer, pleaded with community authorities to remove negative gender barriers hampering girls and young women inclusion in decision making processes.
The Wa Municipal Gender Desk Officer, Pognaa Amamata Mumuni speaking at the engagement, told members of the community to consciously include women in decisions that affects the life of their community.
Mr Aminu Ibrahim, a deputy Majority Leader of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, appealed to parents and guardians to take particular interest in the moral upbringing of their wards to make them worthy members of the society.
He admonished them to train and encourage particularly their girl children to take up leadership mantles at all stages of their growth, both at school and community levels.
Participants at the engagement expressed satisfaction with the discussions and pledged to promote and strengthen equity and inclusivity in all their dealings.