International Day of the Girl Child highlights inequality facing young girls


The Director of Volta Regional Department of Gender, Comfort Ablometi says the education of the girl child is one of the surest ways of preparing women to participate fully in the development process of Ghana. 

She said even though gender equality and women empowerment is one of the key components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), there is still some level of disparity between boys and girls at the basic school levels in Ghana. 

She therefore called on all stakeholders in the development of the girl child to provide them with equal opportunities so that they can soar high on the academic ladder. Madam Ablometi said this in a speech read for her at the first ever International Day of the Girl Child held in the Volta Region. 

The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually on October 11 to highlight and address issues concerning the gender inequality facing young girls.  It is estimated that there are nearly 600 million girls aged 10 to 19 in the world today, each with limitless individual potential. However, they are disappearing from public awareness and the international development agenda. 

This year’s celebration is under the theme “The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.”  The celebration which is the first of its kind in the Volta region attracted students and their teachers from various schools in the region, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in education to deliberate on the way forward for the development of girls in the country. 

It was organised by the Regional Girls’ Education Unit in partnership with Plan Ghana. 

The Director of Volta Regional Department of Gender, Comfort Ablometi noted that some of the major challenges facing girls in Ghana include teenage pregnancy, early marriage and lack of knowledge on their reproductive health rights. 


She advised girls to take their studies seriously and avoid unnecessary company of boys and men which could create problem for them in the future. 

The Acting Volta Regional Director of Education, Alexander Buadi indicated that the Day offers Ghana the opportunity to evaluate how it is faring in policies aimed at empowering the girl child to achieve her full potentials. He said the Ghanaian girl child faces challenges some of which emanate from obsolete traditional practices that must be transformed if not eradicated. 

The Volta Regional Girls’ Education Officer, Christine Kugbeadzor said girls should be given equal opportunities in education so that they can contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country. 

She called on schools to endeavor to celebrate the Day with series of activities to whip up interest in girl child education. 

The Volta Program Unit Manager of Plan-Ghana, Rose Beyuo Siilo called on stakeholders to help nurture girls for future leadership roles. 


GBC