ACCRA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ghana on Thursday joined the rest of the globe to mark the "International Day of the Girl Child," calling on the citizenry to take immediate action against the sexual abuse of young girls by their male teachers.
Stakeholders in the education sector had expressed worry over the rise in rape cases in some schools in the country.
Zakya Abdul Wahab, chief commissioner of the Ghana Girls Guide Association, said such incidents are becoming rampant and the need has arisen for immediate action to be taken by the Ministry of Education to restore sanity in schools.
"Our young girls are not safe and all male and female voices should vehemently speak out against such abusive behaviors towards our innocent girls," she said in a message to commemorate the international day.
"Our schools are supposed to teach these young girls to desist from the practice of such social vices but if the educators are becoming culprits then we need to rise up and speak, condemn and call for the culprits to be dealt with by the full rigors of the law," she added.
The international day is observed on October 11 and it is aimed at highlighting and addressing the needs and challenges girls' face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
According to global statistics, young girls and women are the major victims of abuses including rape.
The majority of such victims become traumatized while others are infected with diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
In a message to observe the day, Ghana's First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo said her foundation is working with relevant stakeholders to promote girls education in Ghana.
J Initiative, a child and family-focused organization in Ghana, appealed to the government to remove the 20 percent import tax on sanitary towels to make that essential product available and affordable for all girls, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds.
According to the non-governmental organization, the high cost of sanitary pads in the country is affecting the education of girls because many girls, especially those in the rural communities in Ghana, are unable to buy the product.
