The Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI)
of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in
partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has held a sensitisation
programme for students of Chemu Senior High Technical School intending to
empower young girls into taking up combat careers in the GAF.
The programme, which forms part of a nationwide
campaign, was designed to break stereotypes and open doors to careers in the
military, particularly raising women to lead peacekeeping missions.
Funded by Canada's Elsie Initiative Fund, officials
say, the initiative aligns with Ghana's commitment to increasing female
participation in UN peacekeeping. The campaign, which targets senior high
schools and universities across all 16 regions, aims to reach over 20,000
students.
The campaign has so far been held in Volta, Oti,
Eastern, Central, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions. In Greater Accra, the team
has sensitised nearly 2,500 students of Nungua, Accra Girls and St. Mary's
Senior High Schools.
The campaign builds upon Ghana's existing efforts
towards gender equality in the military, aligning with UN Security Council
Resolutions.
Tema
Addressing students of Chemu Senior High Technical
School in Tema last week, the Gender Policy Advisor to the Chief of Defence
Staff, Group Captain Theodora Agornyo, highlighted the importance of women in
combat roles in the GAF.
She said while the Ghana Armed Forces had a good
number of women, many were restricted to roles in administration, catering and
other traditionally "feminine" positions.
Limitations
That, Group Capt Agornyo emphasised, had placed
limitations on the number of women appointed to decision-making positions,
keeping men dominant in leadership. “This campaign directly addresses this
imbalance by encouraging young women to pursue diverse opportunities within the
GAF, including combat roles, enabling their appointment into leadership roles
as well as serving as commanders to lead troops to peacekeeping operations”,
she said.
Group Capt Agornyo explained that the campaign
therefore challenges traditional views by showcasing the diverse and fulfilling
opportunities available to women in the military, including leadership roles in
combat units.
By providing accurate information, the campaign, Group
Capt Agornyo hoped, would inspire young women to consider a future serving
their country and promoting peace globally.
Ghana, she said, recognised the vital role women
played in peacekeeping and female peacekeepers often connected more effectively
with local communities, especially women and children who were deeply affected
by conflict.
Gender Stereotypes
The E-Learning Officer at the KAIPTC, who also doubles
as the Greater Accra Team Lead for the Campaign, Irene Elorm Hatsu-Fiebor, who
took the students through gender stereotypes, debunked the myth that women were
not physically or mentally strong enough to take up combat roles in the Ghana
Armed Forces.
She stressed that women could be strong, decisive
leaders serving in a wide range of roles, including combat, intelligence,
medicine, engineering and logistics
