The internet must have positive impact on your lives – Girls told

Girls and young women have been advised to take advantage of the digital revolution and use the internet in a way that would impact positively on their lives.

Angela Nhyira Kwabi, Project Officer of Women Aspire Network (WAN), a young women-led Non-Governmental Organization, who gave the advice warned that wrongful use of the internet could jeopardize their dreams and aspirations in life.

She said this when her organisation visited and interacted with pupils of some basic schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis as part of their activities to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child.

The schools visited were John Mensa Sabah Basic School, Cape Coast Presbyterian Basic School, Wesley Girls Primary, St. Michaels and St. Monica's Girls.

Ms. Kwabi said the internet could be used to build social network and movement to engage in activities that could inure to their personal development.

“Do not indulge in anything that will jeopardize your future, take responsibility of your life and do not feel intimidated by anyone. Remember you are not in competition with the men,” she advised.

The International Day of the Girl Child was instituted by the United Nations (UN) in 2011 to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world as well as the need to address those challenge.

It is also to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights and this year's celebration is on the theme: "Digital Generation: Our Generation".

Ms. Kwabi explained that WAN existed to provide support, empower and advocate young women and children’s rights in Ghana and Africa at large.

She spoke about the "She Leads" project being implemented in the Region and said the project sought to support and empower them to actively participate in decision making at the family, community, Regional and National levels.

Madam Abubakar Fazerat Khadijah, a trainee with WAN, advised the schoolgirls to inculcate the habit of savings and save from the little monies they received from their parents.

In that way, she said they could buy for themselves petty items such as pens, pencil and data for their studies without asking their parents or others.

She further encouraged them to learn extra skills in addition to their education, saying it would be useful at a point in their lives.