INSPIRING YOUNG GIRLS TODAY SO THEY CAN LEAD AS EMBOLDENED WOMEN TOMORROW

In many communities across the world only boys are educated, empowered and trained to be leaders. Girls are coached on how to remain docile and to endure even the most abusive relationships. Girl children are often not equipped with either the tools or the know-how of what it means to be self-sufficient, to climb the corporate ladder or how to come to possess economic prowess.It is these gender roles, fed to young girls during their most formative years, that most often than not catch up with them in later life.It’s usually from the very moment a girl child comes into the world that she falls one step behind her male counterparts.The birth of a boy is often celebrated as it heralds the continuity of the family name. The birth of a girl, on the other hand, signifies the arrival of an economic burden which will cripple the family for years to come. This period of grief is particularly acute in cultures where marriage requires a sizeable dowry.“How we socialise the girl child is something we have to do with intention. No longer can we rely on culture or historical norms. We have seen the power and capabilities of female leaders the world over, it is time we woke up to the opportunity we have to awakening girls to this power and these capabilities at a very young age, says Carole Podetti-Ngono, Valued Citizens Initiative founder and managing director.She says this starts with the knowledge and skills imparted in the girl child at home. “The impact of these gender roles are more acute in households with both boy and girl children, the repercussions of which affect society at large in later years:.At the 9th South African Aids Conference held two months ago, it was revealed that the number of new infections in girls and young women between the ages of 15 to 24 now stands at 1 200 per week.“Our girl children need to be handed their voices back. Issues around free condoms at school, the right to choose, dignity and so much more, need to be cultivated in our girls. We have numerous examples of the change that comes when women speak, but they need to speak as girls first before they can be confident to speak as women later,” says Podetti-Ngono.Seeking to change this dire status quo, the Valued Citizen Initiative partnered with the Engine Foundation and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education to launch the iNSPIRE Programme.This involved 95 randomly selected Grade 9 learners who were selected from 10 public high schools in the ILembe District. These learners identified as leaders - leaders at risk, that is. Twenty educators from the same schools were also brought on board.Set up as a four-day camp, this became a platform for the girl child to heal from her emotional wounds. The programme went even further, teaching girls to become self-conscious and emboldening them with essential life skills. This was done to ensure that this group of girls is later able to project themselves into the future with confidence.The girls learned acceptance, self-love, loving beyond fear, dealing with self-concept issues, developing self-trust, understanding the victim triangle and learning essential levels of communication among other lessons.The educator's training was centred around self-development and how that would improve how they relate to their learners. They were also provided with an overview of adolescent sexual and reproductive health to better understand how this impacts the adolescent's lives.Equally important, the programme also revealed that a majority of the learners receive very little support at home, with 55% of them living with a single parent, 17% of them living with either guardians or foster parents and only 28% living with both parents. "This highlights that many of our girl children are vulnerable with those who are living with guardians or foster parents feeling a limited sense of belonging. The support network between schools, clinics, police stations and social development department for social work intervention is limited."Education remains one of the most crucial keys to ensuring the girl child enjoys great success in all areas of life."According to Unicef, an educated woman is more likely to marry at a later age and have fewer children while cross-country studies show that an extra year of schooling for girls reduces fertility rates by five to 10 per cent. The children of an educated mother are also more likely to survive. When women heal and lead, they bring everyone up with them," Podetti-Ngono says."Ensuring women in leadership is crucial to the survival of any economy across the world. Research shows that the way women lead differs vastly to the way men lead. To ensure fairness, equality, transparency, empathy and a practical approach to issues; more women need to be placed at the helm of major corporations. Grooming this in tomorrow’s women starts with what we instil in girls today."