The She Leads Consortium, a group of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) spearheading the implementation of the She Leads project in the Ghana, has launched a media influencing and advocacy strategy to advance the campaign towards achieving the goals of the project.
The project’s, was among other things, aimed at breaking the barriers including negative socio-cultural practices, gender-based discrimination and existing negative gender norms that militated against females' meaningful involvement in decision making and leadership at the community, institutional and national levels.
It was also to increase sustained interest of Young Women and Girls (YWGs) in decision making and leadership at all level of society as well as the transformation of gender norms in both formal and informal institutions.
The media campaign was therefore to complement the several activities carried out by the consortium and the project implementing partners to help achieve those goals.
"We felt that there is the need to include the media. So what we seek to achieve with the media campaign is, we want to influence and motivate young women to be poised and more resolute to peruse their dream of becoming leaders and participating meaningfully In decision making," Madam Anna Nabere said.
Madam Nabere, the She Leads Project Manager at plan International Ghana, who said this in a presentation at the launch of the campaign in Accra on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, noted that the campaign also sought to encourage accomplished young women to serve as mentors to other young women and girls.
"We want to change people's attitudes and perceptions about young women and girls leadership and participation in decision making at home, the community, local and national politics," she added, and urged parents to give girls the opportunities to develop themselves and to pursue their dreams.
She also urged the media to render its unflinching support to the She Leads Campaign through their programmes and activities to help ensure the success of the campaign.
The Media Campaign launch also witnessed the unveiling of a She Leads campaign song authored by the project ambassador, Adina Thembi Ndamse, known in the showbiz industry as Adina.
The Country Director for Plan International Ghana, Mr Solomon Tesfamariam, noted that the objective the NGO was to contribute to policy environment that enabled women entrepreneurs, increase their access to finance and digital technologies.
"Encouraging women's active participation in leadership and decision making is another of our priority. If we strengthen women capabilities in access to resources the prospects of leadership force will be within reach for many women in this region, including Ghana," he said.
Mr Tesfamariam therefore reiterated the commitment of plan international Ghana towards contributing to realising the objective of the She Leads project towards leaving no one behind at all levels, pushing boundaries and breaking the biases against women.
The Policy Advisor, Governance and Human Rights at the Dutch Embassy in Ghana, Mr Theophilus Ayugane, noted the Netherlands government places gender as a key priority in its development interventions in Ghana.
“Inclusion of young women and girls is a prerequisite for Sustainable development. If you look at our development interventions in Ghana gender is mainstreamed in all sectors.
“That is a core policy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so it is for that reason that the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making funding available for all to support young women and girls in their inclusion in decision making and in all spectrum of life,” Mr Ayugane explained.