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Stakeholders commit to tackling teenage pregnancy in Bosomtwe

Kuntanase (Ash), May 15, GNA – Stakeholders expected to play various roles in the implementation of girls’ empowerment project in the Bosomtwe District have pledged their commitment to tackle the root cause of teenage pregnancy in the District.

The project, dubbed: “She Leads Project” seeks to increase the sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.

It is being funded by a consortium made up of Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children International, African Women’s Development and Communication Network and Terre des Hommes the Netherlands.

Six regions in Ghana – Ashanti, Greater Accra, Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Central Regions are benefiting from the five-year project.

Beneficiary Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts in Ashanti Region are Asante-Akim North, Asokore Mampong, Bosome Freho, Bosomtwe, Kumasi and Obuasi.

The Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG) and Defence for Children International Ghana are the local partners implementing the project in the Bosomtwe and Bosome Freho Districts.

The maiden stakeholders’ meeting held at Kuntanase was to introduce the project to the people and discuss the various roles they were expected to play.

It was attended by representatives from the District Assembly, Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Education Service, women groups, churches and selected teenage girls.

The stakeholders who welcomed the project believed that it would go a long way to address the increasing teenage pregnancy in the District, which continues to pose a threat to the development of girls in the area.

They blamed poor parenting for the prevalence of the menace and called for sustained education and empowerment of girls to reduce the canker, which was forcing a lot of girls to drop out of school.

They pledged their unflinching support for the “She Leads Project”, saying, it was the way to go as a people to create equal opportunities for girls to enable them to climb the academic ladder.

Madam Aba Oppong, the Executive Director of RRIG, said the project would support increased acceptance of positive social gender norms and enhancement of collective action of girls and young women in a gender-responsive civil society.

She said it would also support the formation and strengthening of a social movement for girls rights and gender equality.

Through media advocacy, she said, the project would mobilise communities and role models to encourage girls and young women to aspire to take up leadership positions and contribute to national development.

Mr. Joseph Asuming, the District Chief Executive called for a multi-sectoral approach to create an enabling environment to propel girls to reach their potentials.

He said it was important for girls to focus on their education and take advantage of the Free Senior High School Policy, which had eliminated the gap between girls and boys in terms of access to education.