By Seraphine Nyuiemedi
The Volta Regional Office of the Department of Gender, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has organised its first gender equality male school for adolescent boys as part of efforts to bridge the gender equality gap.
52 young boys from five selected districts in the Volta Region participated in the event in Ho.
The two-day forum was to train the young boys to appreciate issues of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health rights, and their role in preventing sexual and gender-based violence.
The Volta Regional Director for the Department of Gender, Thywill Eyra Kpe, said the engagement is in recognition of the important role men play in promoting gender equality.
She said when reproductive health rights are not accessible to young people, it can derail efforts to promote gender equality. She called for a holistic approach to addressing such issues.
“One of the critical limiting factors when it comes to promoting gender equality is the reproductive health rights of women and young people. Reproductive health rights, when not well understood and when these rights are not made accessible to our young people, can end up derailing our efforts in promoting gender equality.”
Mrs Kpe said gender equality has been misconstrued as women’s empowerment. She said it is rather an issue of responsibility and collective action to promote the rights of all, irrespective of one’s gender.
“Over the years, gender equality has been misconstrued to mean women empowerment. These are two distinct concepts. Gender equality on its own is to ensure that all of us, men and women are working together, we have the same assets, rights, responsibilities, and we are working together for the sustainable development of our country,” she said.
The Volta Regional Director for the Department of Children, Israel Akrobortu, said it is critical for men to protect young girls and not put them in a family way.
“When we are talking about child protection, it’s a collective responsibility. The boys or the men are supposed to protect these young girls but not to put them in a family way,” he said.
Religious leaders also took the participants through the cultural aspect of gender equality. The maiden gender equality male school for adolescent boys was on the theme: “accelerating action for gender equality and prevention of SGBV: the role of men and boys”.