Project description:
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) project aims to increase the eligible pool of women within the GAF, identified as a high-priority barrier in the DCAF – the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) report, and to enable GAF women to meaningfully participate and deploy to peace operations. The Ghana Armed Forces have also committed to deploy a Gender Strong Unit (GSU) for a period of three years, with the GSU premium paid to the Ghana Armed Forces at the end of each deployment
Project Funding will be used for the following activities and aim to address several high- and medium- level barriers faced by women, including the lack of eligible pool of women and lack of adequate infrastructure:
(i) conduct a national recruitment campaign targeting women with a focus on addressing misconceptions and stereotypes about women in the GAF. The campaign will also raise awareness of women’s career opportunities, especially in combat and combat support arms.
(ii) conduct regional visits to secondary and tertiary institutions to encourage young women to be enlisted and join the GAF and address stereotypes and gendered roles that influence their decision to join through awareness-raising campaigns
(iii) construct two women only accommodation facilities: a 200-bed facility at the GAF’s Shai-Hills Army Recruit Training Centre (ARTC) and a 100-bed facility at the Daboya Training Camp, also for recruit training
(iv) deploy a Gender Strong Unit (GSU) to UNIFIL in September 2022 for a period of three years.
This project will be complemented by a number of related activities supported by a bilateral agreement with Canada including development of a gender policy and gender awareness training, and EIF project funding for UNIFIL’s gender sensitive accommodation project, to enable the GAF to deploy a GSU to UNIFIL.
