Gender department urges school girls to report teachers who make sexual advances

Jocelyn Adii, the Bono Regional Director of the Department of Gender, has urged girls to be bold and report teachers who try to abuse them sexually to the school authorities.

She said the growing trend of sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly among girls in Senior High Schools (SHS), was condemnable and called for concerted and decisive approaches to stem the practice and thereby create a haven for girls to learn.

Adii called for active stakeholder collaboration to tackle the barriers inimical to the holistic growth and development of girls.

She gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a girls’ forum to mark the International Girl Child Week Celebration on the theme: “Raising confident girls for tomorrow’s leadership.”

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world.

The Gender Unit of the Sunyani West Municipal Directorate of Education, in partnership with the Bono Regional office of the National Youth Authority (NYA), organised the forum to empower over 1,000 girls to aspire for leadership positions.

They were selected from the basic schools in the four circuits of the municipal directorate of education, namely Fiapre, Nsoatre, Chiraa and Odomase circuits.

Adii noted that though vulnerable, girls had huge potential, saying abusing them sexually was not only an affront to their fundamental human rights and dignity but also denied them the opportunity to build on their potential.

She also urged girls to concentrate on building their future and study, saying, “Sex will always be ready for you when you marry. It’s just a pleasure you will even distaste when you marry.”

Constance Adogbama Ayambila, the Sunyani West Gender Education Officer, urged the girls not to see themselves as inferior, asking them to learn their books and aspire higher in life.

Princella Dzidzor, a Programmes Officer at the NYA Bono Regional Office, later told the GNA that the Authority remained committed to empowering girls to take leadership positions.

She said the NYA had designed mentorship programmes to help unearth and build on the potential of girls and empower them to grow to become responsible mothers to occupy enviable positions in secular lives.