LLN’s girls governance camp begins with a visit to the Electoral Commission
This year’s edition of the Girls Governace Camp organised by the Leading Ladies Network (LLN) opened with a courtesy call on the chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), Jeane Mensa on Monday.
The purpose of the programme is to cultivate and support the social and economic development of Ga North Municipality of Ghana with focus on young girls and women.
The four day event commenced on September 26 and is being held on the theme “We are made for more” and with LLN’s 2023 theme, “Our Year of Diligence”.
Participants include a total of 120 girls, 12 facilitators and four guest speakers, including Ghana’s first female Attorney General Betty Mould-Iddrisu, a Deputy CEO of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Akosua Asaa Manu
Receiving the participants at the EC’s head office in Accra, Mrs Mensa commended the LLN for organsing such programmes for young girls in the country, adding that exposure to politics also inspires a sense of civic duty, creating a generation committed to active participation and positive change.
“I see myself in you. As a young girl I also had dreams and ambitions growing up, and though hard work and perseverance, I have come this far with the help of God so I encourage you to study hard and give off your best wherever you find yourself. It is highly possible for your dreams to come true. Never give up,” she added.
The school girls were taken through a simulated election process to give them an idea about an election process.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of the programme, Founder of LLN, Mrs Yawa Hansen-Quao said the young girls were carefully selected with the support of their teachers because her outfit was looking for girls who could make maximum use of the opportunity.
She said “The girls governance camp is a four day three nights event that allows girls to learn about governance and since many if the girls participating will be eligible to vote in next year’s general elections we felt it was very necessary for them to be educated on the relevance of participating in national elections and the mechanics of voting among others.”
“Our goal is to give them a deep understanding of some of the opportunities that come with serving ones country and the challenges to expect.”
She said though not all girls will end up becoming public leaders, there was the need for them to be encouraged to aspire for higher positions in future and even at the school level.
According to Mrs Hansen-Quao, by instilling confidence early, girls develop essential skills like communication, decision-making, and resilience.
She added that empowering young girls to pursue leadership roles in their schools and future careers is crucial for fostering inclusive societies.
She expressed gratitude to Mrs Mensa for the opportunity.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
