The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Directorate of Education has pledged its commitment to giving unrivalled attention to the promotion of girls education to ensure they had equal access to free quality education.

That, he said, would help reduce their drop-out rate in school and improve retention.

Mr Daniel Cobbold, the District Director of Education, said this during the celebration of the International Day of the Girl-Child in the District aimed at building the self-esteem, knowledge and skills of girls to reduce the high school dropout rate.

The United Nations, in 2012, declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl to effectively highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while empowering them in fulfillment of their human rights.

It was also to draw the attention of governments and stakeholders to provide better education, protection from violence, access to legal rights and medical care and safe environment for their welbeing.

The 2019 celebration also marks 25 years of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, and 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Mr Cobbold said government was taking measures to promote skills development and the eradication of illiteracy, poverty and ill-health among girls and women.

As part of the move, Mr Cobbold announced plans to strengthen supervision and monitoring while working to provide the needed teaching and learning logistics to enhance academic work.

He advised the girls to avoid premarital sex, which results in teenage pregnancy and other deviant behaviours that would jeopardize their future.

Parents were admonished to be responsible for the upkeep of their children and offer them the needed parental protection in order not to expose them to abuse, stressing that most girls were abused sexually as a result of parental neglect.

Madam Gifty Nordzi, the District Girl-Child Coordinator, called on traditional leaders in the area to enact the necessary by-laws to stem the rising teen pregnancies in the area.

As part of activities to mark the Day, Girl-child clubs embarked on a float through the principal streets of Ajumako, to drum home the need to protect and educate the girl-child.

They held placards with inscriptions like “Educate girls at the right age', ‘Girls education is important’, “Send your girl-child to school, ‘Stop girl-child marriage and support them in school.’ GNA