The Volta Regional Director of Department of Gender, Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe, says that men and boys have major roles to play in achieving gender equality and elimination of sexual and gender-based violence and child marriage.
She said gender equality was a societal issue and that women alone could not achieve it without the express cooperation and partnership of men and boys.
Mrs. Kpe was speaking at the maiden edition of “Gender Equality Males’ Empowerment School,” held under the auspices of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
It was dubbed, “Accelerating Action for Gender Equality and Prevention of SGBV: The Role of Men and Boys” and brought together a total of 32 adolescent boys from basic and Senior High Schools, four school-based facilitators, and 16 selected men.
The selected men included religious leaders, leaders of Okada riders, community youth leaders and presidents of students’ representative council of some universities in the region.
Mrs. Kpe said the programme aimed to train men and boys as champions and change makers on issues of gender equality, women empowerment, healthy masculinities, and prevention of SGBV and adolescent pregnancy, as well as provide life skills and educational and career guidance to the young boys.
The participants were taken through topics such as Concepts of Gender, Gender Equality and Toxic Masculinity, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, including Changes in adolescents and STIs, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
Others are the Rights of children and parental responsibilities, Good Grooming and Personal Hygiene, Advocacy Skills for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Right and Educational and Career Guidance for Adolescents.
The Director said gender was an issue of collective action to promote the rights of both male and female; however, over the years, the issue of gender had been misconstrued to mean women empowerment.
Mrs. Kpe asked religious and traditional leaders to help address sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy to protect and promote the wellbeing of the country’s youngsters.
Mr. Israel Akrobortu, Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, called on society to pay attention to child protection issues to safeguard the future of the country.