ActionAid-Ghana, a non-governmental organization operating in the country, has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and school authorities to give equal opportunities to both boys and girls in leadership positions at the school level to ensure that women were actively involved in decision making at a young age.

The NGO said women had been lagging behind in leadership positions because they are not actively involved in leadership early in life, adding that most of the leadership positions at both basic and second-circle institutions are given to boys to the disadvantage of girls.

ActionAid-Ghana raised these issues in Tamale on Wednesday to mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebration which falls today under the theme; “Connecting girls, inspiring the future”.

The celebration brought together students and student leaders from selected schools and stakeholders in education in the Northern Region to brainstorm on some major issues affecting the progress and development of women.

The participants at the end of the day agreed that there was the need for affirmative action for improved leadership in schools which will give equal opportunities to both sexes and called on the GES to consider restructuring school leadership portfolios that will remove the current bias in the system.

They said conscious efforts must be made to create opportunities for girls.

Mr. Kanzoni Donald, Director of Tertiary and Second-Circle Education at Northern Region of GES, urged more girls to take up leadership positions to build themselves to take up leadership positions without fear.

He said cultural and traditional barriers that hinder girls’ development and progress must be broken and assured that GES will continue to support girls in leadership positions.

Mr. Edward Akayire, Programme Officer of ActionAid, said the NGO was working to ensure that women and the vulnerable in society were given equal opportunities through working to reduce poverty in its operational areas.