NCCE Uses Football to Promote Adolescent Health, Gender Equality and the Fight Against GBV

Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Head Office, Ms. Rita Ofosua Amparbin, has called on young people, parents, community leaders, and especially men and boys to take an active role in promoting gender equality and ending gender-based violence.

Speaking during a community football activity organized by the NCCE Central Tongu Directorate, in partnership with UNFPA and with support from Global Affairs Canada, Rita described football as more than just a game—it is a powerful tool for bringing people together and promoting positive social change.

She said the activity was not only about competition on the football field but also about scoring a bigger victory for adolescent health, gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence.

According to her, just as a football team cannot win when players refuse to work together, communities cannot progress when people are excluded or discriminated against.

She challenged men and boys to reject harmful ideas about masculinity and instead embrace positive masculinity built on respect, protection, shared responsibility and support for others.

“True strength is not about physical dominance or power over others. True strength, positive masculinity, is about protection, respect, shared responsibility and upliftment,” she said.»

Ms.Amparbin also urged men and boys to become champions in the fight against gender-based violence, saying they have an important role to play in protecting the rights and wellbeing of adolescent girls.

She stressed that every adolescent girl deserves to live free from fear, violence and abuse, while having access to accurate health information and the opportunity to make informed decisions about her sexual and reproductive health.

She further emphasized that gender equality benefits everyone, noting that when girls are given equal opportunities, they can grow into leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and change-makers who contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.

Addressing parents, community leaders and young people, she called for collective action.

She urged leaders to protect vulnerable people and ensure justice, parents to teach boys to respect women while supporting girls to reach their full potential, and young men to speak up whenever they witness discrimination, abuse or violence against girls and women.

The football event therefore became more than a sporting competition. It served as a platform to promote peace, respect, equality, adolescent health, and positive masculinity.

With the players on the pitch and supporters cheering from the sidelines, the message was clear:

The fight against gender-based violence is a team effort—and everyone has a role to play.