The Zonta Club of Accra II has launched a year-long celebration to mark three decades of advocacy, education and community service for women and girls in Ghana, with the anniversary opening pointing to a legacy that includes scholarship beneficiaries now enrolled in university.
The club, which received its charter on December 23, 1996, held the launch event in Accra on Friday under the theme “30 Years of Empowering Women and Girls through Advocacy, Service and Partnerships.” The occasion brought together members, programme beneficiaries, institutional partners and supporters.
Club President Merley Wood said the occasion represents a milestone shaped not by time alone but by sustained impact across multiple areas of women’s welfare. “Today we celebrate not just a date, but a journey of 30 years of empowering women and girls through advocacy, service, and partnerships,” she said.
Wood highlighted the Girls Scholarship Project, launched in 2015, as one of the club’s most tangible achievements. Six girls who entered the programme while in primary school are now Level 200 university students, pursuing degrees in veterinary medicine, food technology, public health, business administration and the arts. The club has committed to continuing their support with annual scholarships to cover tertiary education costs. A new cohort of beneficiaries drawn from Teshie Salem Presbyterian Primary School has now joined the programme, extending its reach into the next generation.
The club’s work has extended into healthcare infrastructure. In 2018, through a partnership with the Australian High Commission and GCB Bank, the club renovated the Chenard Ward at a health facility in Accra and has continued to provide support under a ten-year memorandum of understanding. Its programming has also covered health screenings, mentorship and sustained advocacy against gender-based violence and child marriage.
Wood noted that the club has produced institutional leadership beyond its own borders, with three members having served as District Governors and two as International Directors within Zonta International’s global structure. Within District 18, five clubs, covering Accra, Tema, Accra II, Metropolitan and Jubilee, continue to advance women’s rights across Ghana.
Scholarship beneficiary Mercy Asare, speaking at the event, expressed gratitude for the support she and her peers had received. “If it was not for them, we would not be here today,” she said, pledging that beneficiaries would give back to their communities as they progress in their careers.
Zonta International, founded in 1919, operates more than 1,100 clubs in 64 countries, with a mission to advance the status of women and girls through service and advocacy.
