UNICEF, KOICA Join Forces for Adolescent Girls

(From left) KOICA Country Director, Woochan Chang, Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Sungsoo Kim and Susan Namondo Ngongi with the document

The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have signed a three-year partnership agreement to address inequities currently facing thousands of young girls in Ghana.

The three-year programme dubbed, ‘A Better Life for Girls in Ghana,’ promises to address existing issues of gender stereotypes and social norms, which disproportionally impact the development of girls.

The programme aims to provide a holistic development for girls.

Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Sungsoo Kim, said the main goal of the programme is to address the current worrying trend of child marriage in Ghana.

“We jointly expect to improve the life of our adolescent girls by keeping them in school, as well as broadening their horizon on entrepreneurial opportunities and financial literacy,” he said.

UNICEF Ghana Representative Susan Namondo Ngongi said UNICEF is delighted to be partnering KOICA on this very important programme.

“Girls aged between 12 and 19 are in a very precious and critical phase of their development which can profoundly influence a girl's future potential.  During this key time of transition from girlhood to womanhood, we want to ensure that girls in Ghana are given a fair chance to thrive in a safe and welcoming environment and are given a chance to realise their full potentials.”

KOICA Country Director, Mr. Woochan Chang said that both UNICEF and KOICA would continue to actively collaborate with the Government of Ghana, especially for this project.

The project will contribute to the successful implementation of the 'National Strategic Framework on Ending Child Marriage in Ghana,' which will be launched next week by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.