Girls Leading the Future: ActionAid Ghana Collaborates with GMB Queen Asakia for 2025 GEAP Annual Conference in Tamale

In a bold and transformative gathering, the 2025 Girls’ Empowerment and Advocacy Platform (GEAP) Annual Conference brought together a remarkable coalition of young leaders, activists, and trailblazers, affirming the vital role of girls in shaping their own futures. Themed “Invest in Her Future: Mobilising Resources for Quality Girl-Child Education and Transformative Leadership through Gender-Responsive Public Education” in Tamale, Northern Region. 

The 2025 GEAP Annual Conference aims to create a dynamic platform where girls not only showcase their knowledge and skills but also lead the conversation on the issues that affect them most, proposing practical strategies and actionable measures to overcome the challenges they face in education, safety, and leadership. Hosted by the Northern Regional Programme of ActionAid Ghana, this year's conference was a vibrant tapestry of girl-led leadership and collective advocacy, marking a significant milestone in the journey toward gender equality and empowerment.

John Nkaw, the Country Director of ActionAid Ghana, stated that “The statistics are a warning, but our girls are the solution. Ghana cannot afford to lose another girl to early motherhood, child marriage, or preventable dropout. We must ring-fence financing, expand GEAP clubs, and build a gender-responsive education system that meets girls where they are. When we invest in a girl's future, we secure Ghana’s future.”

 Celebrating Inspirational Leadership

At the heart of this year's event was the esteemed presence of Queen Asakia Hawawu Hanaan, the First Runner-Up of Ghana Most Beautiful 2025. Her participation not only underscored the importance of representation but served as a beacon of inspiration for young women across the country. ActionAid Ghana's invitation to Queen Asakia epitomised a commitment to bringing transformational role models closer to the girls who need them the most.

During the conference, Asakia delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with all attendees: “Leadership does not begin in adulthood; it begins the moment you decide to speak up for yourself and others.” By emphasising that leadership is an inherent quality in every girl, she celebrated their existing roles as dynamic influencers and changemakers in their communities, highlighting some key steps she took which contributed to her success as the First runner-up.

Madam Janet Adama Mohammed, formerly of the Christian Council of Ghana, Ibis, and currently retiring from Conciliation International UK/Global, also encouraged the girls to be resilient and hardworking. She explained that these are key skills and values they need to thrive as girls and leaders. She admonished girls to leave their comfort zones and venture into male-dominated professions like Engineering, medicine, among others. She did indicate that Education was the key to everything in life and that even if a girl wants to be a beautician, she must be well educated to add value to the profession.

Challenging the Status Quo

This year’s conference featured a groundbreaking plenary session led exclusively by GEAP members, a first that showcased the unyielding voices of youth advocating for their rights. With confidence and clarity, these young advocates engaged in enriched discussions on pressing issues impacting their lives, such as: 

• Access to Quality Education
• Menstrual Dignity and Period Poverty
• Safety and Protection in Schools and Communities
• Opportunities for Youth Leadership

The insights shared during these sessions were not only rooted in the lived experience of the girls but also reflected a collective call to action: “Listen to us, engage us, include us.” This powerful assertion galvanised attendees and emphasised the need for allied support in dismantling the obstacles hindering girls' full participation in society. They disclosed issues affecting them and how platforms like AAG's GEAP are impacting their lives. 

The conference was an explosion of creativity, sisterhood, and resilience, featuring a rich array of activities designed to amplify the voices of girls: 

• - Girl-Led Panel Discussions: Highlighting barriers and innovative solutions.
• - Art for Change Presentations: Where girls expressed their advocacy through poetry, drama, and visual arts.
• - Role Model Dialogues: Engaging with accomplished women from diverse fields, inspiring the next generation.
• - Peer Networking Sessions: Creating vital connections and fostering collaboration across districts.
• -School Innovation Exhibitions: Showcasing crafts and community solutions developed by GEAP members, including reusable plastic products, liquid soap, bathing and washing body soap, Pastries, beading and handmade products.

These activities reinforced ActionAid Ghana’s long-standing belief: empowered girls are the catalysts for transformative change within their communities. 

Building a Movement for Change

The GEAP initiative stands as a vital pillar in ActionAid Ghana’s commitment to promoting girls' rights and empowering women leaders. Now actively engaged in over 57 districts across 11 regions, GEAP clubs nurture the leadership potential and advocacy skills of hundreds of girls, creating a tapestry of empowerment that is rippling across the nation. 

The 2025 conference was a reaffirmation of this mission, providing a national platform where girls can lead, influence, and inspire their peers and policymakers alike. 

As the conference concluded, one undeniable truth emerged: the future of leadership in Ghana is being sculpted by the tenacity and vision of its girls. Their insights are powerful instruments for change, demanding accountability from those in power while reshaping societal narratives. 

Queen Asakia's engagement symbolised a strategic alliance of support between established leaders and emerging voices, cultivating a robust chain of inspiration that promises to lift generations of young women. ActionAid Ghana remains steadfast in its commitment to walk alongside these young changemakers, advocating for a future where every girl is not only heard and valued but is empowered to thrive in a society that champions their rights. 

In unison, we call for an unyielding dedication to invest in girls' futures because when girls lead, communities flourish, and nations evolve. Let us stand together in championing a movement where girls are recognised not just as future leaders, but as the leaders of today.

The GEAP Conference is an annual gathering of girls from all AAG-adopted schools to come together to share their developmental challenges and seek solutions. This year, the girls presented their petition to the Ghana Education Service, the Regional Director. 

ActionAid Ghana stands firmly with girls and women, amplifying their voices, advocating for their rights, and ensuring every policy and resource puts girls and women at the centre.

Written by Jacqueline Parditey.