Most girls and young people in Ghana are deprived of access to healthcare, education, not to talk of participation and influencing decision making at all levels. This is different with boys and young men. Due to this, much of girls and young women are vulnerable to extreme poverty, infectious disease and a host of other challenges. However girls and young women are often better economic agents of capital than boys and young men. We are more likely to reinvest profits back into human capital than boys and young men. In Ghana, Girls and young women make up majority of the youth population. Ghana is a youthful population. It is no doubt that, girls and young women are the main drivers of Ghana’s economic growth. To unlock this potential, government and all other stakeholders will need to work effectively through the promotion of economic empowerment of girls and young women. Decisive action must be taken to enable girls and young women gain access to information, technology, land, credit, businesses and our basic human rights and privileges. Affirmative policy actions must be taken to increase the participation of girls and young women in all sectors of the economy, especially in leadership and government positions. These measures will boost economic growth and public reform agendas. It will help women to acquire skills that will ensure our economic efficiency and effectiveness. In recognition of the crucial importance of this agenda, it is relevant for government, policymakers, non-governmental organization and other relevant stakeholders to empower girls and young women and promote our full participation in the development of Ghanaian society. Implementation of this schema and the participation of girls and young women in sustainable development could ease the gender parity, environmental unsustainable, violence and corruption issues affecting us.
Government, policy makers and non-governmental organizations over the years have been committed to the unraveling of the innovative potentials of girls and young women. But it is glaring that, more need to be done to support and empower us to take up our critical role as economic drivers of change. In recognition of this, Ghanaian youth came out with a Youth Manifesto in 2012 and acknowledged our commitment to the support of the full participation of girls and young women in the development of the Ghanaian society. The Youth Manifesto is the all-inclusive collation of youth policy options and proposals. It is the current voices of young people to place our issues and concerns to support Ghana economic agenda. Based on all the inputs received throughout all the ten regions of Ghana and from some Ghanaian in the diaspora, young people came with significant proposals for action, which aimed at improving the economic and social emancipation of girls and young women. In other to initiate the full participation of girls and young women in the development agenda of Ghana, the following was proposed by Ghanaian youth in the Youth Manifesto 2012:
Taking appropriate actions to eliminate discrimination against girls and young women and to ensure their full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms through comprehensive policies, plan of action and programmes on the basis of equality. Develop and strengthen policies and programmes, which recognize the non-discrimination and full, equal and violent free enjoyment of all fundamental human rights and freedom for young women and girls. This include, ensuring that girls gain access primary, secondary and tertiary education like boy and young men. This will enable us see our self-worth, our right to have access to determine choices and feel like respected members of our society. Through the realization of this effort, a conducive environment will be built, where young women and girls will feel free to create opportunities for themselves. The views of girls and young women must be explored, so as to design appropriate programmes for this action.
Ensuring that girls and young women are able to participate actively, equally and effectively with boys and young men at all levels of social, educational, economic, political, cultural, civic life and leaderships as well as scientific endeavours. Girls and young women just like boys and young men are entitled to the effective enjoyment and participation in the development agenda at all levels of economic growth. We must be allowed to exercise this role through the expression of our ideas and opinion without fear or panic and also to publicize them as well. Government must ensure that girls and young women are allowed to participate in decision making and in fulfillment of our civic responsibilities.
Instituting programmes that make girls and young women aware of their rights and of opportunities to participate as equal members of society and to ensure full participation of girls and young women in society and decision making. This increases our understanding and appreciation of our role in the development process. Awareness and policy attention programmes to increase girls and young women knowledge of our rights and freedom is an effective reform to maximizing our role in the society.it will help protect us from violence, fickle decision making and unnecessary mandatory joint titling.
Paying more attention to gender mainstreaming in such key area as education, health and employment. Gender mainstreaming seeks to consider supportive and undesirable forces in the social, cultural and political environment of ours. It is therefore critical and an urgent need to introduce and implement programmes aimed at mainstreaming gender in our educational, health and employment systems.
Finally, initiating empowerment, leadership and mentoring programmes to support girls and young women. This mentoring program will establish positive self-esteem for girls and young women. Girls and Young women will become inspired by the strength and purpose of people who mentor us.
Ghanaian must recognize the benefits of empowering girls and young women to enable more effective economic decision making and ensure our country’s socio-economic stability.
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