The women's empowerment brand, The Intelligent Lady, has launched The Intelligent Lady Academy in Ghana after a successful pilot program in Lesotho. The Academy, a revolutionary initiative aimed at equipping adolescent girls with essential leadership and entrepreneurship skills, seeks to prepare the next generation of female leaders for success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic world.

The Academy, through its flagship program “Aspire to LEAD”, a six-week leadership capacity development program, trained 36 girls at Accra Girls Senior High School. The program, designed for adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 years in Senior High Schools, aims to inspire, equip, nurture, and empower them to be confident leaders and problem solvers in their communities. Aspire to Lead uses a comprehensive curriculum designed to cultivate leadership qualities and foster an entrepreneurial spirit among adolescent girls. Through a combination of life skills-based training, hands-on projects, and mentorship, students are taught to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities necessary for leadership roles and entrepreneurial endeavors.

"At The Intelligent Lady Academy, we recognize the importance of equipping adolescents with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape," said Maame Efua Arthur, Project Coordinator of the Academy. "With the launch of The Academy, we aim to empower adolescents to unleash their full potential, cultivate innovation, and make a positive impact in their communities and beyond."

The curriculum at The Intelligent Lady Academy covers a wide range of topics including The Power of Self-Image, associations, Choices and Responsibilities, Communication and interpersonal skills, entrepreneurship fundamentals, ethical decision-making, among others. In addition to classroom learning, students are provided the opportunity to engage with industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and community leaders through guest lectures and internships.

"The Intelligent Lady is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about nurturing a mindset of resilience, adaptability, and collaboration," said founder Princess Sekyere Bih. "We believe that every adolescent and young woman have the potential to become a leader and entrepreneur, and our goal is to provide them with the tools and support to turn their aspirations into reality."

She revealed that the programs of the Academy are run in collaboration with both senior and junior high schools in the communities. She expressed her gratitude to the headmistress and leadership of the Accra Girls School for embracing the initiative to run in the school.

The Academy is one of many initiatives by The Intelligent Lady brand. In the past 5 years, through its Network, it has organized events including Purpose and Plan, The Dialogue Series, and Entrepreneurship workshops to empower women. Every December, members of the Network organize a Christmas soup kitchen event for prison inmates of James Camp Prison to share faith, hope, and love.