The Chief of Kazigu, in the Kassina Nankana West District of the Upper East region, Kazigupe Asangchera Aluah has called for action on effective girl child education saying it is pivotal in the development of the traditional area.
He said education remained the surest way of eliminating or reducing all forms of girl child prejudice and abuse especially, poverty, teenage pregnancy, early child marriage and violence.
Kazigupe Aluah made the call at the 9th annual Womdai-Bu festival celebration at the Kazigu Chief Palace, last Monday.
This year's festival was under the theme: "Effective Girl-Child Education from the Basic Level is the Key to Ending Poverty, Teenage Pregnancy, Early Marriage and Violence against Women".
Kazigupe Aluah appealed to the government to develop the rural side of the country which would attract the unemployed youth back to their roots and concurrently discourage rural-urban migration.
In furtherance, the development of the rural side would lead to the decongestion of the cities and a significant reduction in social vices among the youth.
The chief stressed that funding for a flyover or an interchange in Accra or any city in the country could change more rural communities therefore, the government should not concentrate on infrastructure only.
The Guest Speaker for the occasion, Dr Kape Awopoley Awampaga I, said the role of education in fighting girl child abuse could not be overemphasised.
She further explained that, teenage pregnancy does not only affect the girl involved, but the couple because both must be responsible for their action.
"I want to address the fact that even after teenage pregnancy your life is not over yet though, you have to work harder and put in more effort knowing that it is possible to overcome some of the hardest situations," he added.
On his part, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Gerrard Ataogye said the district, for that matter the government, was trying to provide adequate classrooms and equipment for all schools in the country, to catapult efforts of the youth and more so the girl child attaining high educational laurels.
"We want to ensure that every school receives its fair share of resources" he stressed.
He went on to say that the Assembly recognises education as the only way to unearth the best in the girl child including their ability to break the poverty line and becoming better wives and mothers since women are the first teachers of their children.
Meanwhile, the occasion coincided with the launching of the EU Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nations known as LEAN Project in the same area as the festival, which pleased the DCE because the project was about preservation of nature and life for all.