Youth Parliaments discuss issues affecting girls

The Females Caucus of Youth Parliaments in the Northern Region has held discussions on issues affecting girls in society calling on all actors to play their roles to ensure the welfare of girls.

The Female’s Caucus held a number of fora at Bimbilla, Wulensi, Saboba, Yendi and Tamale to discuss issues such as teenage pregnancy and reproductive health, which affected the education of girls.

The event also formed part of activities by the Female Caucus to mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebration to recognise the contributions of women to the development of society.

The Female’s Caucus of Youth Parliament at Nanumba North District held a parliamentary sitting at Bimbilla where the role of women in development was discussed by both the majority and the minority sides of the House.

School girls, who attended the event, were sensitized on the need to abstain from premarital sex and rather concentrate on their education to secure their future.

The Female’s Caucus of Youth Parliament at Saboba District also held a parliamentary sitting and discussed the motion: "The society is responsible for the poor performance of school girls in the Saboba District."

Both sides of the House suggested that parents spend time with girls to encourage them, as well as honour their responsibilities towards girls’ welfare amongst others to curb the issue of poor academic performance in the District.

At Yendi, the Female’s Caucus of the Youth Parliament, joined by other stakeholders, discussed the effects of cybercrime and its impact on education of the girl-child.

School girls, who attended the open parliamentary session, were educated on how to keep themselves safe from “sakawa boys” (cyber scammers) to avoid teenage unwanted pregnancy.

Miss Issahaq Hasseenat, Chairperson of Females Caucus under the Youth Parliament project expressed gratitude to Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL) and its partners for the support enabling them to contribute their quota to the development of their communities.

The Youth Parliament is a year’s project being implemented by YEfL, a non-governmental organization, and supported by STAR-Ghana with funding from the UKaid, DANIDA and European Union.

The Youth Parliament, which is modelled on the country’s Parliamentary system, offers platform for youth to influence decisions and local level policies through dialogue.