36 PARTICIPATE IN MENTORING WALK GHANA

THIRTY-SIX young women are participating in the fifth edition of Mentoring Walk Ghana (MWG), a forum which brings together women leaders to inspire girls and build up their leadership potentials in order to make a difference in their communities.

This year’s event, on the theme: “The Ghanaian Woman in a Man’s World,” has brought together young women from the various tertiary institutions across the country, during which the mentors will impact life-changing experiences on the mentees in various work places within a 10-day period.

Addressing the gathering at a welcome reception in Accra on Wednesday, the Founder of MWG, Ms Brigitte Dzogbenuku, explained that the programme was an annual event that paired young women with accomplished women to form a mentoring relationship.

She said since February 2009, the programme had benefitted about 200 young women at the tertiary level. Also, the Annual Global Mentoring Walk has since 2009 been held around the world in different countries including Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

“Through these walks, we demonstrate a belief in the importance of women’s leadership and participation in society,” Ms Dzogbenuku explained.

She said the walk also promoted the values of mentoring in rising leaders who could share their experiences with future generations and provide aspiring professional women with the support and guidance they need to fulfil their goals.

“Ultimately, these walks unify the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network and send a clear message that we value women’s participation in society and recognise the importance of giving back to others in society,” she added.

Additionally, these walks support and exemplify the transformative impact women have when they act in solidarity and raise their voices to promote positive change on a global scale.

Ms Dzogbenuku urged the young women to open up and be ready to learn from their mentors within the short period of the programme.

“Often, when you are being mentored, the wise words we hear don’t resound till years after. You may not realise it, but whatever relation you build with your mentor will come in handy in future,” she advised.

She also appealed to individuals and organisations to come to the aid of MWG in order to increase the number of girls being mentored annually.

“At the moment, we have mentees from Kumasi, Winneba, Sunyani and Tamale who were given priority in the selection process but we have to pay for their accommodation for the 10-day period and we need a lot of funds to help us accommodate more from the regions in the coming years,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, the Director of the Gender Unit of the Ministry, Mrs Dorothy Onny, lauded the initiative of MWG and their commitment to empower young girls in the country.

She said mentoring was a strategy that the ministry had adopted for the promotion of gender equity and women’s empowerment.

“If every professional leader makes it his or her responsibility to identify a girl or boy, teenager, youth to mentor and guide in his or her growth process, the goal of the ministry would be effectively achieved,” she said, adding that “it is time we shirked the modesty and dismantled the concrete ceiling we have built around ourselves to enable us aspire for the highest position and occupation.”

That, she said, was the only way through which women could become empowered socially, economically and politically and also have a distinct voice that would enable them to make a difference in their various communities.

She also urged MWG to include discussions and themes on reproductive health issues and child nutrition to assist in reducing the rate of maternal mortality, child mortality and morbidity in the country.

In a brief remark, the Head of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Domestic Violence Secretariat, Mrs Catherine Adu-Boadi, urged the girls to make it a point to excel in all their endeavours and practise self discipline at all times.

She called on gender advocates, individuals and organisations engaged in women empowerment to emulate MWG and also come together to develop strategies to promote women’s empowerment and development in the country.

The Chief Justice of the Labour Court Division, Mrs Gifty Dekyem, advised the girls to develop a clear sense of direction and have courage to face their fears.

“The number of times you fall does not matter but how you get up helps to define who you truly are,” she added.