The organisation emphasised that child protection and safeguarding were essential to reducing violence against children and protecting them from harm, thereby promoting their proper growth and development.

Mr Sulemana Hor Gbana, the Northern Programme Influencing and Impact Area Manager at Plan International Ghana, noted that effective collaboration between parents and duty bearers would help create a conducive environment for children to thrive.

He made these remarks in Wa during a two-day capacity-building workshop on child protection and safeguarding organised by Plan International Ghana in partnership with Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD-Ghana).

The workshop brought together stakeholders, including Champions of Change, patrons of She Leads clubs in Basic and Senior High Schools, and representatives from women's rights organisations.

The training formed part of the implementation of the She Leads project and aimed to enhance the participants' knowledge and skills on child protection, safeguarding, and gender equality, to boost their contribution to the project's success.

Mr Gbana encouraged the participants to increase advocacy efforts against harmful practices that perpetuated gender inequality in society and to contribute to creating safe environments for children to thrive.

He added that the progress of the She Leads project was due to the continued support of stakeholders throughout its implementation, which had significantly impacted many communities.

In a presentation on gender equality, Madam Eseman Ahiadorme, the Gender and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Specialist at Plan International Ghana, noted that while both men and women experience Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), women remain more vulnerable.

She indicated that common forms of SGBV, including child/early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancy, and sexual abuse, as well as gendered expectations related to domestic chores, often resulted in missed opportunities for girls. 

Madam Ahiadorme stressed that maintaining harmful gender norms only served to perpetuate gender-based violence.
She, therefore, reaffirmed Plan International Ghana's commitment to challenging such norms and discrimination to ensure a safe environment for every child.

Mr Abubakari Adamu, the Safeguarding and Child Protection Specialist at Plan International Ghana, said the Organisation prioritised child protection and safeguarding in its programming.
He said the workshop was, therefore, to ensure that all their partners were adequately trained to uphold those principles.

"We know the repercussions of what it means to abuse the power of trust in the work that we do.

We believe the communities, government and all other agencies hold us up in trust, so we want to ensure that we never abuse the power of trust", he explained.

Mr Adamu urged all stakeholders and partners, including Champions of Change, traditional leaders, and patrons, to report incidents of child abuse to the appropriate authorities, including Plan International Ghana, to ensure survivors receive justice.