The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has embarked on a nationwide schools campaign to encourage female students in Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions to join the Combat and Combat Supporting unit after completion. The campaign aims to increase the number of women in leadership positions within the GAF.
According to Col. Elvis Asamoah, Gender Adviser at the General Headquarters International Peace Support Operations, “Over the years, women have been enlisted into the GAF, but mostly in support roles such as nursing, administration, and stores. We need to rebrand women in leadership positions in the GAF.”
Col. Asamoah emphasized that the United Nations has found that women are underrepresented in peacekeeping roles, and that the combat and combat supporting unit is the key to achieving leadership roles. He urged female students, parents, guardians, teachers, and the Ghana Education Service to support the campaign, stating, “There is no discrimination in the GAF; it’s an opportunity for all, and women should be forthcoming.”
The campaign, with the slogan “Join the Combat and Combat Supporting unit. We have what it takes to conquer the sky, we have what it takes to command the fleets, and we have what it takes to command the troops,” has already visited the Wa Senior High School and the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development. The team, led by Col. Asamoah and officials from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), will visit eight Senior High and tertiary schools in the Upper West Region.
Col. Asamoah encouraged school authorities to motivate female students to study hard and score good grades to qualify for admission into tertiary institutions and eventually join the GAF. He emphasized that the current leadership roles in the GAF are male-dominated, but this can change if women join the combat and combat support unit.
Senior Warrant Officer Logah Patience Abla advised students to focus on their studies and avoid wasting time on social media, while Madam Kissiwaa Gyan, Programme Officer at the Women Youth, Peace and Security Institute at the KAIPTC, emphasized the importance of gender equity and equality.
The campaign is implemented by the Women Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI) of the KAIPTC, in partnership with the GAF, and funded by the Elsie Initiative Fund of Canada, aligning with the government of Ghana’s commitment to empowering women in peace operations.
