The Volta Regional Director for the Department of Gender, Thywill Eyra Kpe, says effective collaboration is required to deal with the challenges affecting the progress of the girl child.

She said girls were endowed with incredible potential, however, challenges confronting them far outweighed their strength thereby hindering them from achieving their dreams.

Mrs Kpe was speaking at a short ceremony to commemorate this year's International Day of the Girl Child at Mawuli Senior High School in Ho in the Volta Region with support from the United Nations Population Fund.

This year's celebration was on the theme: “Invest in Girls' Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well- Being.”

The Director said investing in the girl child was paramount in securing their future and called on various stakeholders to collaborate in removing all barriers to development of the girl child.

She said the Day aimed to identify problems confronting girls, amplify their voice and provide them, the necessary support to actualise their potential.

Mrs Kpe mentioned defilement, rape, sexual and gender-based violence and parental neglect as issues that were still persistent, affecting girls and must be dealt with.

The Director stressed the need for the old generation to provide proper mentorship to young people, especially girls, to create opportunities and an environment conducive for them to thrive.

Madam Victoria Fato, Focal Person for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, charged the girls to aspire for greater heights in life.

Madam Millicent Dakeh, Volta Regional Girl Child Education Officer, said all effort must be made to promote girls’ empowerment, gender equality and access to education for all girls around the world.

She said the celebration of the Day reminded the world that girls deserve equal opportunities and resources to thrive in education and personal growth.

You have power to break barriers and stereotypes, she encouraged girls, and that their dreams were also achievable, hence they must not allow anything to restrain them from pursuing their desire.

Madam Patricia Awo Kodjo, Assistant Headmistress, in charge of Domestic at Mawuli School, entreated the participants to cultivate reading habits and endeavour to read a page of a book a day to broaden their horizons.