Nkoranza (B/A), July 17, GNA- Queen mothers have been urged to use their influence as major custodians of the country's cultural heritage to advance the promotion of girl education in their communities. Mr. Kwabena Agyeman-Badu, Nkoranza District Director of Education made the call in a speech read for him at a one-day seminar organized by the Girls Education Unit of the directorate for about 30 queen mothers from the Nkoranza Traditional Area.

The seminar, under the theme, "Sexual maturation and sexuality", was aimed at sensitising the participants to help promote the education of girls and their retention in schools.

The District Director said: "Since queen mothers are the major custodians of the cultural heritage in our society, they can make a great impact on the girl child education".

He emphasized that the restoration of puberty rites would help put fear in girls so that they would abstain from unprotected sexual habits. Mr. Agyeman-Badu urged the participants to organize forums in their communities to promote girl-child education.

Ms Joyce Nyamadie, Nkoranza District Director of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) expressed concern about the increasing number of rape and defilement cases in the area. She condemned the practice to settle such cases at home saying the practice rather encouraged the unscrupulous men to continue to commit the offence.

The CHRAJ Director advised parents to closely monitor the movements of their daughters so that they did not fall prey to men. Ms Sophia Adalingeah, District Girls Education Officer, advised parents to reduce their huge expenses on funerals and other social activities and rather invest their resources in the education of their children.

Nana Koranteng Ababio, Twamahene of Nkoranza and Odikro of Asuano who presided, appealed to the queenmothers to use the knowledge they had acquired at the seminar to advance the promotion of girls' education.