The Canadian High Commission in Ghana, in collaboration with the Canadian International School (CIS), has commemorated this year’s International Day of Families with a call on parents to end all forms of discrimination against girls in the home.
Addressing parents, teachers and pupils of the CIS in Accra last Saturday, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian High Commission, Mr Daniel Arsenault, stated that it was imperative for parents to avoid discrimination against girls.
“As we celebrate this year’s International Day of Families, let us come together as parents and do our best to get rid of the practice of discrimination against our girls. Let us ensure equity among our children in the homes,” he stressed.
That, he said, would improve the lives of the girls in society and boost their performance in school.
UN Families’ Day
The International Day of Families is marked on May 15 every year to show the critical role families play in transforming lives.
The theme for this year is: “Men in Charge? Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families.”
In a statement to observe the day, the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, said “Equitable social and economic development depends on fair legal frameworks and social norms that support the rights of women and children.
“Discriminatory laws and practices that do not give equal rights to all, and that suppress women’s and children’s rights have no place in contemporary families, communities, societies and nations,” he added.
Merrymaking
Parents, their children and teachers made merry and participated in many indoor and outdoor games.
They engaged in scrabble, monopoly, ludo, oware, video games, playing cards, draughtboard, sack race, lime and spoon and fruits eating.
There was also enough food and drinks for the participants, as the children also sang and played instruments to entertain their parents and teachers.
The Proprietor of CIS, Mr Benedict Yartey, called on fathers to play their roles to ensure discipline in the home, noting that raising children was the collective responsibility of both parents and should not be left to mothers alone.
As an institution, he said, the school was playing its part in teaching and training the students to appreciate fairness and equity in society, adding that “it will go a long way to ensure fairness in our homes.”
Source: graphic.com
