First Lady calls for end to violence against women

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 17th May ?99 ?

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the First Lady and President of the 31st December Women's Movement(DWM), has noted with concern the continued perpetration of violence against women by fellow women.

This phenomenon, coupled with apathy and lack of solidarity among women in the country, are undermining the women empowerment drive being pursued by the movement.

Nana Konadu expressed these concerns at a regional rally at Sunyani on Friday as part of activities to mark the 17th anniversary celebration of the founding of the DWM.

She had earlier expressed similar sentiments at a durbar held in her honour at Nsoatre, near Sunyani, where she commissioned a 52 million-cedi day care nursery built by the movement with support from the district assembly and funded by the government, Sunyani District Assembly and the European Union.

Nana Konadu said the movement would continue to spearhead the full integration of women into national life and urged them to unite under the umbrella of the movement to ensure the full realisation of this objective.

She said, over the past years, the movement has, through income-generating activities and passage of gender sensitive laws, greatly contributed to the economic, social and political empowerment of women in the country.

Nana Konadu said the fact that a lot more women are occupying political positions was an indication of the positive impact of the efforts of the movement which, she said, would continue to exist even when her husband, President Jerry John Rawlings, leaves office.

She urged parents to take advantage of the government's Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme to enroll their daughters in school, adding that the acquisition of formal education is vital to the full participation of women in national life.

Nana Konadu further expressed concern about the rapid environmental degradation in the country and underscored the need for the strict enforcement and observance of environmental laws.

The General Secretary of the Movement and Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mrs Cecilia Johnson, said though the Movement is non-partisan, it has lent its support to the government because it is sensitive to the plight of women.

She asked Ghanaians not to forget the difficult days when the country was on the verge of collapse and how the present government managed to restore hope and international recognition for the country.

Mrs Johnson deplored what she described as the "growing spate of irresponsible journalism" in the country and urged journalists to be circumspect in their write-ups so that the peace and development of the country would not be interrupted.

She also called on chiefs to strive to find peaceful and effective ways to address permanently the numerous land and chieftaincy disputes which are undermining the government's investment drive and development.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, paid tribute to the 31st December Women's Movement and its founder and leader for the able manner it has been able to champion the cause of women.

Mr Adabre described as appropriate the theme of the movement's anniversary celebration - "equality, peace and development, challenges of the third millennium" - and urged members to re-appraise their activities to evolve better strategies to address the concerns of women in the next century.