The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has urged adolescent girls to begin developing their leadership potential now to help Ghana achieve its goal of equal representation of men and women in governance and leadership by 2034.

The Minister said the passage of the Affirmative Action law had created an opportunity for young girls to aspire to leadership positions, stressing that achieving a 50-50 balance in governance would require them to develop confidence, skills and a leadership mindset from an early age.

Delivering the Minister’s address at the close of the 2026 Changing Mindsets: Adolescent Mentorship and Empowerment Camp in the Volta Region, the Volta Regional Director of Gender, Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe, said the girls should not consider themselves too young to lead or make a difference in their communities.

The mentorship and empowerment programme, which began in 2016, was held under the theme, “Changing Mindsets, Empower, Unlock Potential, Break Barriers for a Sustainable Future.”

It was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as part of efforts to empower young people to make informed decisions, develop leadership skills and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the country.

The Gender Director said the journey towards leadership could begin with small responsibilities in schools, churches, classrooms and communities, which would prepare the girls for greater roles in the future.

Madam Kpe said by 2034, the girls participating in the programme could become Members of Parliament, directors, administrators and other leaders if they remained focused on developing themselves.

She said the mentorship programme was intended to expose the girls to possibilities and encourage them to dream beyond their current circumstances.

“You are not too young to dream. You are not too young to lead. You are not too young to make a difference in your community,” she said.

The Minister also cautioned the girls against allowing relationships, peer pressure and the pursuit of immediate material benefits to derail their ambitions.

“You have potential in you. Don’t kill it by going after boys. Don’t kill it by going after indomie. Don’t kill it by going after GH¢5. You can make millions of that money when you learn hard, when you develop your skills and when you become somebody,” she said.

She urged the girls to believe in themselves and develop their abilities, saying they could eventually afford the things that might currently attract them to relationships with men.

Madam Kpe said the three-day camp, which brought together about 60 girls from 30 communities, 30 schools and seven districts, was designed to help participants identify and unlock their potential and develop the mindset needed to overcome barriers.

She said the girls received training in assertiveness and self-confidence, digital literacy, online safety, digital footprints, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and rights and responsibilities.

The participants also interacted with accomplished career women and experienced virtual reality as part of efforts to broaden their understanding of career opportunities and inspire them to defy the odds to achieve their purpose.

Madam Kpe said the Department of Gender would continue to track the participants through girls’ education officers and mentors to ensure that the skills and aspirations developed during the camp were sustained.

Adjoa Yenyi, Programme Specialist for Adolescents and Youth Development at UNFPA, said empowering adolescent girls was important because they would eventually influence families, communities and the country.

She encouraged the girls to think big and share the knowledge they had acquired with their peers.

She said young people faced several challenges, including gender-based violence and issues related to their physical development, which could prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Madam Yenyi urged the girls not to allow such challenges to limit their ambitions, pointing to the achievements of Ghanaian girls in areas such as robotics as evidence of what young women could accomplish.

Hilda Seyram Amable, a Form 3 student of Keta Senior High Technical School and president of the camp, said the programme had given her renewed confidence to pursue her goals despite difficult circumstances.

She said hearing the experiences of women who had overcome significant challenges had inspired her to believe that she could also overcome obstacles and fulfil her purpose.

Hilda said she would return to her school to share the lessons with other girls and encourage them to work harder, pursue opportunities and believe in themselves.

Meanwhile, Mama Afiakumah II of the Ve Traditional Area, who chaired the occasion, cautioned young people against indecent dressing and urged them to avoid behaviours that could expose them to abuse and other risks.

She called for stronger guidance for young people, particularly during the festival season, and urged communities to intensify efforts to protect adolescents from sexual abuse, sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.