The Hands Off Our Girls National Sensitisation Tour is geared towards empowering women and girls for sustainable development. Launched by the President in December 2018 the initiative is led by the First Lady to address issues affecting girls and women. For the tour which commenced in September 2019 to January 2020, the First Lady engaged political influencers, Child-rights organisations and donor partners to participate in district events to directly reach out to district level influencers, for frontline advocacy that will lead to policy change and ignite social action. Key focus area was to:
• Disseminate key messages to help fight against Early Marriage and Rape
• Work Directly with Paramount Chiefs and make them champions of the cause and social mobilization of religious leaders to take action
to end child marriage and address issues pertaining to adolescent pregnancy at district and community level.
• Empower the new generation by teaching the importance of embracing free quality education
On Wednesday 25 the First Lady to launched of the Hands Off Our Girls campaign at a side event of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. With Panelists: Minister of Social Welfare gender and Children’s Affairs, UNFPA deputy executive Director
of Programmes, Executive Direct of Girls Not Brides and President African Development Bank. The launch in different districts were closed with an official hand over the campaign to Paramount chiefs They pledged their commitment to developing and implement chiefdom level byelaws and agreed to developing a position paper for a National Bye-law. This Position paper was delivered to the President in December 2019. This whole process led to the launch on Friday 24th July 2020, of the first Sexual Offences Model Court for rape proceedings.
