Gender Equality : High Commissioners Unite, As 12 win ‘Ambassador for a Day’ competition
High Commissioners from the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission and the French Embassy have stressed the critical need for collective support towards women’s rights organisations, government initiatives, and young women advocating gender equality.
They made the call during the Awards Ceremony and Mentorship Learning and Sharing Workshop of the 2024 winners for the Ambassador for a Day (AFD) competition at the Residence of the British High Commission.
The 12 winners
The winners are Malika Kassim, Ayisha Bashiru, Abigail Kyerewaa Baiden,
Augusta Emefa Agbinku, Mohammed Bello Hidaya, Rasheeda Ama Aban, Priscilla Serwaa Koffie, Maubasharatu Abdulai, Maame Esi Kum Enimayew, Bestina Martins, Amdalatu Amidu Atiiru and Cheryl Renée Quaye.
They will have the opportunity to engage in advocacy activities to engage in leadership, advocacy activities to accelerate the passage and implementation of the Affirmative Action Bill. The British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, Canadian High Commissioner, Martine Moreau, and French Ambassador, Jules Armand Aniambossou, participated in the 2024 AfD competition.
But only the three who topped the competition, had the opportunity to shadow the three Heads of Missions. They include Malika Kassim (matched with Canadian High Commissioner); Ayisha Bashiru (matched with British High Commissioner); and Abigail Kyerewaa Baiden (matched with French Ambassador).
The High Commissioners and Ambassador, as well as representatives from nine women’s rights organisations (WROs) and youth organisations, whose beneficiaries participated in the AfD competition, and winners of AfD 2023, had the opportunity to meet the 12 winners for the first time at the British High Commissioner’s Residence to interact, network and engage in media activities.
The winners will also serve as Community Based Ambassadors (CBAs), catalysts and champions of change, advocating gender equality and female empowerment within their own communities.
Togetherness
In her opening remarks, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, congratulated the winners, and emphasised the imperative of standing together to address any setbacks in the advancement of women’s rights. Thompson stressed the significance of backing individuals and groups actively striving to reverse any regression in this realm.
“We’re witnessing the rollback of rights of various groups, including women, across the world. In this context, it’s even more crucial that we unite to support women’s rights organizations, governments and young women advocating change,” she articulated.
Thompson highlighted the fact that women constitute at least half of the world’s population, thereby representing half of its potential. However, she lamented the persistent inequalities prevailing globally, including in the UK and Ghana, which often originate from birth and result from limited access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and proper nutrition.
“But then, as girls get older towards adolescence, those inequalities can become exacerbated; the disparities can widen further. And we know that women and girls are amongst the hardest hit by the impacts of shocks like climate shocks, economic shocks, and relevant to all of us now, in a way that wasn’t a few years ago, notably today, health emergencies such as pandemics,” Thompson added.
Ambassador for a Day
The ‘Ambassador for a Day’ (AFD) competition, she explained, aims to elevate the visibility and ambition of young women and girls across Ghana. It seeks to broaden their perspectives, inspiring them to contribute not only to their own well-being but also to that of their communities.
“We host the ‘Ambassador for a Day’ competition to raise the profile, and we hope to raise the levels of ambition, to raise the horizons of young women and girls across Ghana. It opens their eyes to what they could do not just for themselves but for their communities as well, and to give them a platform so that we can hear from them, we can be inspired by them, we can learn from them,” she indicated.
The AFD offers winners the unique opportunity to spend a day with an Ambassador or High Commissioner, engaging in various activities tailored to their interests and matched with the heads of missions. The event forms an integral part of the High Commission’s Gender Month Celebration.
Thompson expressed her enthusiasm in collaborating with the Affirmative
Action Bill Coalition (AABC) this year. She revealed that alongside the prestigious awards, winners would participate in a comprehensive workshop, mentoring, and coaching sessions, integrating them into the youth wing of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition.
“I’m very excited to witness their progress and I’m looking forward to meeting our winners. Thank you for joining us today, celebrating the achievements of Ghana’s young women, and committing to supporting them and others like them to achieve so much more,” she remarked.
Canada’s commitment
Similarly, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Martine Moreau, highlighted the pivotal role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in Canada’s international assistance endeavours worldwide and specifically in Ghana.
Moreau stressed that Canadian foreign policy is firmly grounded in the belief and commitment to political, economic, social and personal equality of the sexes. She emphasised that these fundamental elements are critical in the fight against poverty and in fostering a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive global community.
“Simply put, Canada’s feminist policy entails our belief that gender equality matters, that women’s rights are human rights, and that to maximize the impact of our development programming to reduce poverty, we must passionately defend the rights of women and girls,” she stated.
Moreau extended appreciation to development partners and the United Kingdom High Commissioner for their warm reception. “I’m very much looking forward to hearing our young women Ambassadors’ perspectives on women’s rights in Ghana and what they believe needs to be done in the future,” she added.
Moreau underscored the significance of the Ambassador for a Day programme as a timely reminder that advocacy for gender equality is an ongoing endeavour.
She, therefore, urged all stakeholders present to continuously champion the rights of women and girls, civil society and genuine equality and inclusiveness through women’s full and equal participation across all spheres of society.
High Commissioners unite for gender equality as 12 win ‘Ambassador for a Day’ competition.
They will have the opportunity to engage in advocacy activities to engage in leadership, advocacy activities to accelerate the passage and implementation of the Affirmative Action Bill. The British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, Canadian High Commissioner, Martine Moreau, and French Ambassador, Jules Armand Aniambossou, participated in the 2024 AfD competition.
But only the three who topped the competition, had the opportunity to shadow the three Heads of Missions. They include Malika Kassim (matched with Canadian High Commissioner); Ayisha Bashiru (matched with British High Commissioner); and Abigail Kyerewaa Baiden (matched with French Ambassador).
The High Commissioners and Ambassador, as well as representatives from nine women’s rights organisations (WROs) and youth organisations, whose beneficiaries participated in the AfD competition, and winners of AfD 2023, had the opportunity to meet the 12 winners for the first time at the British High Commissioner’s Residence to interact, network and engage in media activities.
The winners will also serve as Community Based Ambassadors (CBAs), catalysts and champions of change, advocating gender equality and female empowerment within their own communities.
Togetherness
In her opening remarks, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, congratulated the winners, and emphasised the imperative of standing together to address any setbacks in the advancement of women’s rights. Thompson stressed the significance of backing individuals and groups actively striving to reverse any regression in this realm.
“We’re witnessing the rollback of rights of various groups, including women, across the world. In this context, it’s even more crucial that we unite to support women’s rights organizations, governments and young women advocating change,” she articulated.
Thompson highlighted the fact that women constitute at least half of the world’s population, thereby representing half of its potential. However, she lamented the persistent inequalities prevailing globally, including in the UK and Ghana, which often originate from birth and result from limited access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and proper nutrition.
“But then, as girls get older towards adolescence, those inequalities can become exacerbated; the disparities can widen further. And we know that women and girls are amongst the hardest hit by the impacts of shocks like climate shocks, economic shocks, and relevant to all of us now, in a way that wasn’t a few years ago, notably today, health emergencies such as pandemics,” Thompson added.
Ambassador for a Day
The ‘Ambassador for a Day’ (AFD) competition, she explained, aims to elevate the visibility and ambition of young women and girls across Ghana. It seeks to broaden their perspectives, inspiring them to contribute not only to their own well-being but also to that of their communities.
“We host the ‘Ambassador for a Day’ competition to raise the profile, and we hope to raise the levels of ambition, to raise the horizons of young women and girls across Ghana. It opens their eyes to what they could do not just for themselves but for their communities as well, and to give them a platform so that we can hear from them, we can be inspired by them, we can learn from them,” she indicated.
The AFD offers winners the unique opportunity to spend a day with an Ambassador or High Commissioner, engaging in various activities tailored to their interests and matched with the heads of missions. The event forms an integral part of the High Commission’s Gender Month Celebration.
Thompson expressed her enthusiasm in collaborating with the Affirmative
Action Bill Coalition (AABC) this year. She revealed that alongside the prestigious awards, winners would participate in a comprehensive workshop, mentoring, and coaching sessions, integrating them into the youth wing of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition.
“I’m very excited to witness their progress and I’m looking forward to meeting our winners. Thank you for joining us today, celebrating the achievements of Ghana’s young women, and committing to supporting them and others like them to achieve so much more,” she remarked.
Canada’s commitment
Similarly, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Martine Moreau, highlighted the pivotal role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in Canada’s international assistance endeavours worldwide and specifically in Ghana.
Moreau stressed that Canadian foreign policy is firmly grounded in the belief and commitment to political, economic, social and personal equality of the sexes. She emphasised that these fundamental elements are critical in the fight against poverty and in fostering a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive global community.
“Simply put, Canada’s feminist policy entails our belief that gender equality matters, that women’s rights are human rights, and that to maximize the impact of our development programming to reduce poverty, we must passionately defend the rights of women and girls,” she stated.
Moreau extended appreciation to development partners and the United Kingdom High Commissioner for their warm reception. “I’m very much looking forward to hearing our young women Ambassadors’ perspectives on women’s rights in Ghana and what they believe needs to be done in the future,” she added.
Moreau underscored the significance of the Ambassador for a Day programme as a timely reminder that advocacy for gender equality is an ongoing endeavour.
She, therefore, urged all stakeholders present to continuously champion the rights of women and girls, civil society and genuine equality and inclusiveness through women’s full and equal participation across all spheres of society.
She assured Ghana of Canada’s steadfast commitment to advancing gender equality. “In particular, here in Ghana, the Government of Canada is working concertedly to support and help strengthen the capacity of women’s rights organizations in partnership with Plan International Ghana through the Women and Voice Leadership projects. We are supporting small and medium-sized local women’s rights organizations to implement their priorities in terms of advocacy and service delivery,” she explained.
She indicated: “We’re doing this through the provision of multi-year grants and capacity building of the organizations themselves. Through Women Voice and Leadership, we are supporting women’s rights organizations to first, set their own agenda and then deliver on the priority actions they have identified. We have here today the newly created youth wing of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition,” she indicated.
Moreau reiterated the commitment to a more inclusive future for Ghana, where women are afforded equal opportunities and representation in decisionmaking processes.
“You are here because you recognize that women should take their rightful place alongside men, raising their voices and taking part in making the decisions that affect their lives. Together we are contributing to empowerment and well-being for women and girls in Ghana. So Canada and myself are very happy to participate in this project this year,” she added.
Essential condition
For his part, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Aniambossou, indicated that achieving equality between women and men is an essential condition for sustainable development and economic growth.
He observed that Ghana had made tremendous progress in pushing the gender equality agenda, but the near absence of women in technology, as role models, continues to derail the efforts being made.
Ghana, he said, had a proud history of influential and phenomenal women leaders who have shaped the nation and made a global impact with many outstanding women leaders who have distinguished themselves in politics, academia, business, and law, among others- including serving in some of the highest offices like Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament.
He noted that France had adopted feminist foreign diplomacy making gender equality a key priority. “For this reason, we continue to support Ghana for the implementation of the “Gender Advocacy Project” that seeks to strengthen advocacy towards female members of parliament, to encourage the adoption of laws and policies that guarantee gender equality,” the Ambassador stressed.
Credit:Bright Philip Donkor/Johnawuniktv@gmail.com
