The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, in collaboration with various stakeholders, successfully organized the International Women’s Day 2025 celebration at Chemu Senior High School, Tema Community 4. This event, held under the theme “Accelerate Action; For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, aimed to raise awareness about rights, gender equality, empower young women and girls, and encourage collective action towards sustainable change.
\nThe program brought together key stakeholders, including educationists, social development professionals, gender advocates, students, and representatives from the public and private sectors. A total of 150 participants attended, comprising 75 female students from Chemu Senior High School and 50 female students from Tema Methodist Secondary School, alongside invited guests and facilitators.
\nOpening Session
\nThe program officially commenced at 10:15 AM, with Mr. Sule Zakari head of Community Development Unit serving as the Master of Ceremony (MC) and supported by Madam. Hannah K. Beccles. The event began with an opening prayer led by Hannah Kiyoe Beccles, the Girls\u2019 Education Unit Coordinator and Science Technology Mathematics Innovation Education Coordinator. Following the prayer, the MC introduced the invited guests and the chairperson for the occasion, Madam Bernice Ofori, the Metro Director of Education for Tema.
\nChairperson\u2019s Acceptance Remarks
\nMadam Bernice Ofori, in her acceptance remarks, highlighted the importance of celebrating International Women\u2019s Day and emphasized the need for continuous efforts to promote gender equality. She applauded the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development for organizing the event and stressed the importance of empowering young girls with knowledge and skills for a brighter future.<\/p>\n
Welcome Address
\nThe Head of the Department (HOD) of Social Welfare & Community Development, Mr. Robert Mensah Gbley, delivered the welcome address. He reiterated the department\u2019s commitment to advancing women\u2019s rights and called on all stakeholders to work collaboratively to ensure that gender equality becomes a reality in all spheres of life.<\/p>\n
Keynote Speech
\nThe keynote address was delivered by Rosemond Adubea on behalf of Madam Matilda Mahamah, the Regional Director of the Department of Community Development, Greater Accra. In her speech, she reaffirmed the commitment to promoting the rights, equality, and empowerment of women and girls. She emphasized the following points:
\n\u2022 Women’s rights are fundamental human rights.
\n\u2022 The need for inclusive policies that address discrimination and marginalization.
\n\u2022 The role of women in leadership and economic development.
\n\u2022 The importance of solidarity in achieving gender equality.
\nShe concluded with a call to action, urging all participants to be ambassadors of change in their communities.<\/p>\n
Panel Discussion: Advancing Women\u2019s Rights and Gender Equality
\nA thought-provoking panel discussion was moderated by Grace Laryea from the Ghana Enterprises Agency (Tema Business Advisory Center – BAC) and Hannah Kiyoe Beccles, the Girls\u2019 Education Unit Coordinator and Science Technology Mathematics Innovation Education Coordinator. The distinguished panelists included:
\n\u2022 Hajia Khadijah Sibawehi \u2013 Tema Metro Gender Desk Officer
\n\u2022 Madam Bernice Ofori \u2013 Metro Director of Education, Tema
\n\u2022 Madam Joyce Kusi \u2013 Guidance and Counseling Coordinator, GES – Tema
\n\u2022 Rosemond Adubea \u2013 Representative of the Regional Director of Community Development, Greater Accra
\nThe discussion focused on key issues related to women\u2019s rights, gender equality, and empowerment. Panelists shared insights on:
\n\u2022 Challenges facing young girls in education and career progression.
\n\u2022 The importance of mentorship and leadership development.
\n\u2022 The role of government policies in promoting women\u2019s empowerment.
\nA Q&A session followed, allowing students from Chemu SHS and Tema Methodist SHS to engage with the panelists and seek guidance on various issues.<\/p>\n
Skills-Building Workshops for Young Women and Girls
\nTo equip young women with practical skills, three interactive sessions were held:
\nSession 1: Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship
\nFacilitated by Madam Grace Laryea from the Ghana Enterprises Agency, this session focused on:
\n\u2022 Understanding financial management and budgeting.
\n\u2022 Basics of entrepreneurship and business planning.
\n\u2022 Business formalization and marketing strategies.
\nSession 2: Menstrual Hygiene Management
\nPresented by Kwame Grundow of Live Right Ghana, this session emphasized the importance of menstrual health in empowering young girls. Key topics covered included:
\n\u2022 Myths and misconceptions about menstruation.
\n\u2022 Proper menstrual hygiene practices.
\n\u2022 Sustainable and eco-friendly menstrual products.
\nAs part of the session, Live Right Ghana donated reusable cloth pads to selected female students.
\nSession 3: Practical Demonstration on Powdered Soap Making
\nLed by Madam Matilda Mintah and Jamilatu Iddrisu, officers of the Community Development Unit of the Department of Social Welfare, this session provided hands-on training on how to produce powdered soap (OMO) for domestic and commercial use. Participants learned:
\n\u2022 Ingredients and equipment needed.
\n\u2022 Step-by-step production process.
\n\u2022 Packaging and marketing strategies.<\/p>\n
Closing Session
\nThe Chairperson, Madam Bernice Ofori, commended the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development for the successful organization of the event. She emphasized the importance of continued collaboration in advancing the welfare and empowerment of young girls.
\nRecognition & Appreciation
\nMadam Yvonne Appiah, a Senior Social Development Officer, delivered the vote of thanks. She extended appreciation to:
\n\u2022 Chemu SHS and Tema Methodist Secondary School for their participation.
\n\u2022 The Ghana Education Service (GES) and Director of Education for their support.
\n\u2022 The Regional Director of Community Development and the Gender Desk Officer for their contributions.
\n\u2022 The Guidance and Counseling Unit and the Girls\u2019 Education Unit Coordinator.
\n\u2022 Sponsors, including B5 Plus, Bel-Aqua Company Limited, Live Right Ghana, and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, for their invaluable support.
\nClosing Prayer and Departure
\nThe program officially closed at 12:45 PM with a closing prayer, followed by a group photo session and the departure of participants.<\/p>\n
Conclusion
\nThe International Women\u2019s Day 2025 celebration in Tema Metropolitan Assembly was a resounding success. The event provided a platform for discussion, learning, and empowerment, equipping young women with knowledge and practical skills. The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development remains committed to promoting gender equality and looks forward to further initiatives that will drive lasting change for women and girls in the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, in collaboration with various stakeholders, successfully organized the International Women’s Day 2025 celebration at Chemu Senior High School, Tema Community 4. This event, held under the theme “Accelerate Action; For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, aimed to raise awareness about rights, gender equality, empower young women and girls, and encourage collective action towards sustainable change. The program brought together key stakeholders, including educationists, social development professionals, gender advocates, students, and representatives from the public and private sectors. A total of 150 participants attended, comprising 75 female students from Chemu Senior…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[677,676,639,675],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4540"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4540"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4543,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4540\/revisions\/4543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4540"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tma.gov.gh\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=4540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}