Jana Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Accra is on a mission to challenge barriers that militate against the inclusion of women in leadership roles.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Janet Asana Nabla, who is also the founder and leader of the People’s National Party (PNP), and her team, visited Kwabenya Community Senior High School in Accra on Thursday, November 21, where they engaged with the students on women empowerment.

The team educated the students on the country’s recent Affirmative Action Law, Gender Equality, and Women in Politics, with the core aim of encouraging young women to take up leadership roles without fear of intimidation or exclusion.

The brief ceremony attracted about 1,000 students, mostly female, who resonated well with the lecture and sought advice on how to overcome barriers to taking up leadership roles as women in society.

One of the newly admitted female students, Naomi Watsa, said the session had empowered her.

“I was really inspired this morning by the speech from the woman from Jana Foundation. She spoke about how to empower women, and I was really happy. I was so excited to hear that she was saying things women can do to build up their capacity and strength. We can do it; we shouldn’t discourage ourselves,” she said happily after the lecture.

Ms Watsa also noted that, where she comes from, women are not motivated to take up leadership roles, but with the empowerment she received from Jana Foundation, she is now encouraged to fight against the odds.

“I am from the North, and what they do there is always discourage girls. They believe girls should just get married and don’t know the value of women. But today, I’ve gained more power to learn what I can do as a woman and how to achieve my dreams. I also want to become one of the most influential women politicians in the future,” the young girl excitedly told Joy News.

Another participant, Jessica Akonfo, said, “Through her (Janet Nabla), I was able to learn about the Affirmative Action Bill that was passed into law, and that gives me more courage to stand up in politics. Women can do what men can also do, so if we leave women behind and put men in front, the country cannot move forward. Let’s do gender balancing,” she added.

On her part, Ms Asana Nabla said she founded the organisation to encourage women to participate in decision-making. “Being a politician and knowing the problems women face, I decided to set up my foundation to be able to train the youth. These are young and vibrant girls, so if we train them well, they will become great assets for the nation,” she said.

Addressing the barriers that prevent women from progressing, she stated she is doing her best to tackle such gaps. “What we are bringing to the table is to teach them how to bypass all the challenges, whether it’s finance, culture, name-calling – we are teaching them to overcome all this so they can stand up for their rights.”

The politician also noted that she aims to inspire more women to aspire to become Members of Parliament.

Meanwhile, she argued that the current female representation in the country’s parliament is insufficient, saying it will not help in decision-making.

The Programme Manager of the Jana Foundation, Patience Lamisi Adam, said the event is part of a series of empowerment programmes they have held throughout the year. She mentioned that the team would also visit tertiary institutions, including the informal sector.

Mrs Adam also added that they intend to reach women in the informal sector, especially those in markets and deprived communities in and beyond the Greater Accra Region. “As an organisation, Jana Foundation wants to come together to form a Ghana where we will have a higher percentage of women participating in political activities to advance the affairs of the state,” Mrs Adam emphasised.

Teachers at the school expressed gratitude for the training, stating that it will go a long way in preparing the young students for the country’s future.