Girls Advocacy Alliance

This project is a 5-year project running from July 2016 to December 2020 and fully financed by the Dutch Govt and Plan Netherlands to plan Ghana. In partnership with Plan International Ghana, Songtaba is implanting the project with two other non- Governmental organizations; SILDEP in the upper west region, CRESCENT in the Eastern Region, and Songtaba in the Northern region. The project is working with Adolescents and young women in particular as they are prone to experiencing abuses in the form of violence, rape, and sexual assault, and sexual exploitation, at home, at school, and in the workplace. In the northern region, Songtaba is implementing it in three districts, Sagnarigu, Saboba, and Gusheigu Districts. Where it is working with 30 schools and communities. The Overall project goal is Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young women The project is focused on four areas

• Child marriages
• Sexual violence and abuse
•  Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Sex Tourism
• Access to TVET and decent (self) employment opportunities for girls and young women.

The project will build alliance and partnership with, Government ministries, Unions and Associations, Traditional and Religious Leaders, CSO’s, Coalitions and Networks, National Civil Society organizations and groups, teachers, and parents to work to address the above-stated issues. By working together to:

• raise awareness of the issue of violence against girls and women
• develop and strengthen the use of laws and policies
• implement concrete, practical initiatives to achieve Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women ( GYW)

Songtaba is working with 210 Community child protection team (CCPT) and 15 key change agents as a strategy to curb violence and ensure redress for girls and young women who have been violated and get cases reported through official channels. The project is working with 1800 girls and young women to build their capacities about their bodies, to appreciate issues, conduct advocacy work and fight to get their voices and opinions heard and to make informed decisions and access decent work. The project intervention has already reached out to 130 teachers, 3 girls' child education officers from the implementing districts on sexual and reproductive health issues with a focus on early sexual education to girls and preventive measures as well as the need to provide safe spaces for girls.