Author: Nicholas Akusah
15-year old Beatrice Laari, a JHS three student of the Walewale Girls Model Junior High School in the West Mamprusi Municipality, North East, and a rising leader and current speaker of the West Mamprusi Municipality children’s Parliament symbolically took over from the Minister of Youth, Development and Empowerment, Hon. George Opare Addo.
This is a particularly significant takeover, as Hon. Opare Addo is Ghana’s first-ever Minister appointed to the newly created role.
The landmark moment which happened on Thursday, 16th October, 2025 falls in line with the celebration of International Day of the Girl by Plan International Ghana with support from global Girl Takeover Campaign, and was held under the theme: ”
The Girl I am; The Change I lead”. The Girl Takeover Campaign, an initiative led by Plan International is a powerful advocacy movement that provides girls and young women the opportunity to symbolically “takeover” leadership roles in politics, media , business and civil society.
While the campaign globally addresses various forms of gender-based discrimination, this year’s focus in Ghana and beyond is on ending child marriage. Child marriage continuea to be a major barrier to girls education, health, safety, and leadership.
Through the Girl Takeover platform, girls are using their voices to call for urgent action and long-term solutions to eliminate this harmful practice.
A recent report by Plan International, titled “Let Me Be a Child, Not. a Wife – Girls Experiences of Living Child Marriage”, reveals shocking statistics: Each year, 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday, that’s one girl every three seconds.
According to the report, which documents the experiences of 200 married girls across ten countries, indicated that: Child marriage robs girls of their childhood, their rights, and their future.
In an interaction as part the symbolic takeover, Hon. Opare Addo briefed Beatrice Laari about the functions of the ministry, agencies and directors onboard pushing the agenda of the president, John Dramani Mahama.
He mentioned that five agencies are currently under the ministry, including National Youth Authority, Youth Employment Agency, National Service Authority, National Entrepreneurship and Innovative Programme and National Scholarship Secretariat.
“We also have directors, who make sure the agenda of president Mahama is achieved and realized. This ministry, the first of its kind under this government ensures the youth are empowered and employed through the various agencies.” He stated.
On her part, Beatrice Laari expressed gratitude to the Minister for the historic opportunity and moment. She described the moment as unprecedented and a powerful testament to the minister’s belief in young girls.
“This is no ordinary takeover. It is a historic moment, as Hon. Opare Addo is Ghana’s first-ever minister appointed to this newly created portfolio.
His decision to open his office to a young girl leader like me is a powerful testament to his belief in the power and potential of girls and young people, not just as future leaders, but as leaders of today,” she stated.
Laari, took the opportunity to highlight some pressing issues affecting her community including girl child marriage, tackling drug abuse and education inequality.
“I raised the issue of drug abuse among young people, which is often linked with child marriage and school dropout rates. We must intensify our efforts to tackle these twin threats that continue to destroy the dreams of many girls and in our community.
She continued, “I also used the opportunity to appeal for the construction of a dedicated junior high school and library in Walewale.
Currently, the only girls school in our municipality, the one I attend operates out of the Walewale primary school compound, with inadequate infrastructure. We need a proper learning environment to ensure more girls can access education and thrive.”
Laari, also appealed to the minister to help facilitate a courtesy call on the president, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama by a delegation of young and child parliamentarians, supported by the leadership of Plan International Ghana.
She expressed gratitude to all and sundry for the opportunity to serve as Minister for the day.
In his response to the appeals, Hon. George Opare Addo assured the young speaker by extending her request to the president, who is a listening president and would ensure all needed supports are extended across board, especially to her municipality.
Hon. George Opare Addo also revealed that president John Dramani Mahama has directed and reallocated all funds to the various districts under the Common District Funds.
This, he said, would ensure equal infrastructural and development across board.
The country director for Plan International Ghana, Mr. Constant Tchona stated that the minister has shown remarkable commitment to youth inclusion and gender equality by opening his office to a young girl leader.
“His belief in the power and potential of girls to lead is exactly the kind of bold leadership this campaign was designed to celebrate and inspire,” Constant Tchona.
In previous years, girls have taken over high-profile roles including: Second lady of Ghana, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ambassadors of Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands, National Peace Council, Regional Minister and Plan International Ghana country director.
These symbolic takeovers are not mere gestures, they are declaration of a future where girls are not only included but empowered to lead.
