The Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD-Ghana) has trained members of the She Leads Social Movement, a network of young advocates, in leadership and advocacy skills, equipping them to drive positive change in their communities.

The initiative, under the She Leads project, was to bridge the gender inequality gap in society by unlocking the potential of girls and young women.

Some members of the She Leads Social Movement, representatives from youth-led organisations, including Curious Minds Ghana, and girls and young women from tertiary institutions in the region, and the She Leads project communities, participated in the training.

They were taken through local government structures and processes, strategies for effective lobbying and advocacy with stakeholders, and gender transformation and influencing aimed at empowering them to make a difference in their communities while advancing female leadership.

Ms Felicia Baganiah, the President of the She Leads Social Movement in the region, said the training was aimed at enlightening the participants about the local governance structures and strengthening their lobbying skills to access opportunities.

She noted that over the years, young women and girls had been underrepresented in decision-making and leadership at both local and national levels, hindering their progress and development.

Ms Baganiah encouraged the participants to be confident in taking up leadership roles, including political leadership, to bridge the gender disparity gap.

“Let’s empower ourselves by shedding fear and panic aside and contest available positions, thereby increasing women’s participation in formal and informal institutions”, she emphasised.

Ms Ernestina Biney, the Acting Executive Director of CARD-Ghana, noted that the She Leads project had achieved notable successes, spurring female leadership, especially among students.

She said the project had empowered young women and girls to contest and win student elections at the project’s Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions in the region.

Ms. Biney encouraged the participants to apply the leadership and advocacy skills they had acquired in their communities and workplaces.

She urged them to speak out on issues impeding women and girls, and advocate for policymakers to address gender-related norms.

Alhaji Alhassan Hudi Ziyat, Legal Consultant to CARD-Ghana, commended the She Leads initiatives for empowering young women and girls to advocate for gender equality in the country.

He encouraged the young women and girls to be persistent in pursuing their life goals and sustain the advocacy to influence the inclusion of GYW in decision-making and leadership in the country.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), some participants said the project had significantly increased their confidence in seeking leadership positions.

The She Leads project is being implemented by CARD-Ghana in the Upper West Region in partnership with Plan International Ghana.

It aims to increase the sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and transforming gender norms in formal and informal institutions.