Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency in the Western Region, Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi as part of the International Women's Day celebration, has cut sod for the construction of an ultra-modern youth Skills Training Centre under the auspices of the Wassa Hemaa Foundation.

This ultra-modern youth skills training centre would be sited at Wassa Nkran a community within the Municipality and upon completion will serve as a training centre for young girls in designing, dressmaking, hairdressing, make-up, event décor and other skills.

Addressing the chiefs, elders and the community at a ceremony to mark the celebration of this year's International Women's Day, Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi reiterated the need to empower women to contribute effectively to the socio-economic development of the country as women constituted majority of the Ghanaian population.

Touching on the theme of the celebration, "Choose to Challenge" the former Lawmaker encouraged women to challenge themselves by attaining high level of education, participating in politics at all levels and building their entrepreneurial capacity to grow their businesses.

She also, indicated that, it was important to challenge the leadership of the country to take action to address all forms of discrimination against women which negatively impacted their development.

She acknowledged the efforts of former President J.J Rawlings for passage of PNDC Law 111 to address intestate succession, President Kuffour for free maternal health care, and H. E President Akufo-Addo for free Senior High School education which had made education accessible to all the youth and especially girls, who were often denied education due to lack of resources.

She, therefore, indicated that President Akufo-Addo had committed to the promulgation of the Affirmative Action legislation to facilitate women's empowerment.

The President of Wassa Hemaa Foundation Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi told Nananom, youth in Wassa Nkran and its environs that President Akufo-Addo has youth development at heart and had initiated the construction of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) State of the Art Schools across the country.

In this regard, out of the first ten TVET schools to be established in Ghana, the former MP had lobbied for one to be located at Aboso in the Prestea Huni-Valley.

The former Legislator took the opportunity to call on the residents to support President Akufo-Addo for a successful second term in office to enable him to continue with his transformational agenda for the country.

The chief and elders of the area also thanked the former MP and the Foundation for bringing development to the community and promised to support the contractor with communal labour to complete the project on schedule.

As is customary of the former MP, women above the age of 60 years at the event received a piece of cloth each and COVID-19 safety items comprising masks, sanitizers and liquid soap were distributed to all participants.

Mr. Atta Kojo Amprofi, the Managing Director of Rich Nation Engineering Company Limited assured the chiefs and people of Wassa Nkran that he would cooperate with the community to expedite work and deliver a good quality fit for the purpose training centre.

Accompanying the former Legislator were; the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Dr. Isaac Dasmani (PhD), NPP Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency Chairman, Mr. Abiam Kuntu Danso, Constituency Secretary, Mr. Lawrence Appiah Takyi, Deputy Constituency Secretary, Mr. Samuel Blay and Constituency Organiser, Mr. Francis Abieku Yankah.