A female electrician, Charity Abugre, has recounted horrifying experiences she had to go through while furthering her education in electrical engineering.
She explained that while seeking to pursue secondary school education, she had intended to study General Arts but was advised against that decision by her aunt.
“I started my electrical work when I was in JHS 3. There was this NGO that came and was training us on solar installations, and after that, they gave us tools to start working. My brother is an electrician, so I was following him. When I had to go to SHS, I had Bolgatanga Senior High School, but my aunt asked why I was doing well in electricals but wanted to pursue General Arts.”
Ms. Abugre shared these moments when she spoke to Humul Khrusum Tahiru on the maiden edition of the Equal Voices programme.
Based on the advice of her aunt, she instead enrolled at the Community Development Technical and Vocational Institute, now known as Navrongo Technical Institute. But according to Ms. Abugre, her stay at the institution was not easy.
“Sometimes I had to cry and go home, and my parents would take me back to the school. I was the only female student doing electricals.”
Ms. Abugre faced ridicule not only from students but also from teachers. “It was only the Head of Department who was encouraging me. But all the teachers who were teaching other subjects like catering and fashion were saying I didn’t know what I was doing. The students also were making fun of me,” she said.
At the height of the mockery, Ms. Abugre recalled, “I would just go back, remove my coat, and be crying.”
While she anticipated some resistance, the electrician said she did not expect the level of resistance. It took the direct intervention of her aunt, the District Chief Executive for Nabdam, to end the mockery.
“I told my aunt that I could not continue. She had to go to the school and warn them that if they laughed at me again, she would lock down the school because it was like they didn’t know what they were doing.”
Ms. Abugre completed her education without further mockery and has since been a practicing electrician.
The institutionalisation of Equal Voices Programme was part of A1 Radio’s commitment to the execution of Equal Voices Project which aim at ……..then you bring in the aim of the project
The Equal Voices Programme was launched by A1 Radio, a subsidiary of Agreed Best Communication Company, to serve as a platform for women to share their stories and experiences in an attempt to inspire and provide lessons for other women. It is also to serve as a platform to contribute to critical discussions towards regional and national development.
The Equal Voices Programme began after A1 Radio staff attended training organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with Canal France International (CFI).
This training, aimed at journalists in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, promotes gender equality in the media by addressing stereotypes and advancing women’s representation in both societies through gender-sensitive practices.
In September 2023, MFWA and CFI launched the Equal Voices project to enhance the skills of media professionals in developing policies that ensure better representation of women and balanced gender portrayal.
Eight media organizations—four each from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana—were selected as beneficiaries. Media managers participated in coaching and mentorship sessions to implement gender-sensitive policies in their newsrooms.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
It’s unfortunate to hear about this account from my former student, which I believe to be untrue. She was the only female student in the program that year, but I highly doubt any staff members would ridicule her for pursuing Electrical Engineering. How can Nandam DCE threaten to shut down a public school in Kasena-Nankana East Municipal, I urge the reporter to retract this story. Otherwise, they may encounter strong opposition from the school’s staff, as it shows a disrespect towards the institution.”