Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) held a leadership forum for students of the Accra Girls’ Senior High School in the Greater Accra region to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD). The forum took place under a sub-theme “amplifying the voices of girls for change.”
The IWD is celebrated on March 8 every year and this year the global theme for the commemoration was “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. The day has been set aside globally, to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women and to step up calls for more action to accelerate gender parity.
Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of WOMEC addressing the students, said there are women in leadership positions serving as heads of states in some countries and they are contributing to the development of society.
She referred to some women who had excelled in leadership and mentioned leaders such as Angela Merkel of Germany who was commended for her leadership role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in her country so well.
She said WOMEC has made it a point to use the media to give visibility and a voice to women and girls to ensure that they made an impact in society by getting their voices heard.
Mr. Prince Agortey, Assistant Headmaster of the school, expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by various organisations such as WOMEC to champion the cause of women and girls.
He said the school is ready to collaborate with such organisations to push women and girls into leadership position so they can accomplish a lot and improve upon their lives and society.
Dr. James Clayman an obstetrician gynecologist at the St John’s Hospital and Fertility Centre at Tantra Hills in the Greater Accra region who spoke on the topic, “knowing your worth as a lady,” noted that some women believe that a woman’s glory can be seen in her being married.
He said such wrong beliefs could lead a woman into a bad marriage and urged the students to aim high by adding value to their lives before they get married.
Dr. Clayman debunked the assertion that women and girls are less intelligent as compared to their male counterparts.
He said such wrong perceptions could prevent girls from reaching great heights by making them think they are only fit for the kitchen.
He said boys are sometimes made to believe that subjects such as mathematics are the preserve of boys and therefore girls should stay away from such subjects.
He urged the girls to concentrate on improving their lives and desist from indulging in pre-marital sex, which can expose them to sexually transmitted diseases.
Mrs. Georgina Quaitoo, Deputy News Editor of Spectator, in a motivational speech, shared her experiences in and out of school and her professional life and urged the students to stay humble and respectful in order to excel.
Ms. Florence Ofori, Project Lead of Eco Towel, used the occasion to take the students through some lessons on hygiene and to distribute free sanitary towels to them. Eco Towel teamed up with WOMEC to organize the forum.
CREDIT: Women Media And Change (WOMEC)