International Women's Day Activities

More has to be done for women empowerment - Activist

Accra, March 8, GNA - Madam Veronica Ayikwei Kofie, a Gender Activist, on Tuesday said despite current challenges and forward looking strategies put in place for the advancement and the empowerment of women and girls there was still much to be done.

"Notwithstanding all the positive developments to enhance the advancement of women there is still a lot to be done" Madam Ayikwei Kofie said this at a forum held by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Accra to commemorate this year's International Women's Day.


The day was set aside by the United Nations to take stock of activities during the year and to highlight present concerns of women.


This year's celebration is on the theme: "Gender Equality: Building A More Secured Future."


She said though most women had come far by occupying top managerial positions with some in the Executive and the Legislature, the majority of them were still victims of gender based violence arising from socio-cultural practices including human trafficking for prostitution and being sex objects among other things.


Madam Kofie called for education on gender equality through training and awareness creation and the rewarding of institutions and organisations that were making steady progress in promoting gender equality.


Madam Ayikwei Kofie said capacity building for women should be intensified and activities of women in key position should be highlighted in the Media to encourage others.


Mrs Alberta Laryea-Djan, Head, Women Desk of the TUC, noted that in pursuing affirmative action in line with the Gender policy, the TUC had held capacity building workshops to equip women with skills that would enable them to work together with men as partners in development. She called on the Government to involve relevant stakeholders to develop a national policy on the informal economy to help address the special issues and needs of that female dominated sector.

She encouraged women to vie for positions to ensure gender equity in all spheres of human endeavour and urged men to give women the support as a sign of solidarity to women empowerment.


Mr Kofi Asamoah, Deputy Secretary General, Operation of the TUC, said though the Union had made modest achievement in women empowerment it would not relent in giving them the necessary support to help them to attain greater heights.


He saluted women especially those who had courageously stood up to the responsibility of contributing their quota to national development.

Women restoring womanhood - Minister

Accra, March 8, GNA - Mr Kofi Poku Adusei, Acting Deputy Minister of Women and Children Affairs (MOWAC), on Tuesday commended women for taking their destiny into their own hands and making significant impact in restoring dignity to womanhood.


He has, therefore, appealed to all to give the necessary encouragement, support and resources to women to enable them to break all barriers that militated against their progress and development. Speaking at a seminar to mark the celebration of International Women's Day, Mr Adusei said the role of women in the socio-economic development of every country had long been recognised as fundamental. He indicated that it was unfortunate that developing countries in particular, continued to pay less attention to the potentials of women.


The worldwide theme for the Day is: "Women, Inspiring Hope and Possibility."


However, the National Council for Women Development (NCWD) in collaboration with the MOWAC celebrated the Day under the theme: "The Role of Women in Local Governance".


Mr Adusei admitted that there was every cause to celebrate such a day because it afforded the opportunity to highlight on critical issues that confronted women.

He mentioned some achievements that Ghana had made so far which needed to be strengthened as the attainment of an Affirmative Action Policy, legislation against harmful traditional practices, establishment of the Women and Juvenile Unit and the MOWAC with Cabinet status and formulation of Early Childhood Development policy and the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy Document.


He said the Ministry was making every effort to push through the Domestic Violence Bill and the Human Trafficking Bill "in a manner consistent with our socio-cultural traditional systems".


He called for the sensitisation of men to be able to come along in the effort of women empowerment to be bold and confident in whatever they did to exhibit their God-given talents and potentials in all spheres of endeavours.


Ms Francesca Pobee Hayford, Acting Executive Director of NCWD, in a message read for her, said the celebration of the day dated back to the period of the Industrial Revolution, which was accompanied by dramatic societal changes, leading to the first national Women's Day celebration on February 28, 1909 in the USA.


She said in 1910, another Women's Day was instituted at a conference attended by over 100 women from 17 countries in Copenhagen, Denmark to honour women for their struggles for their rights.


Not quite long, Ms Hayford said women in various countries started to demand the right to vote and to hold public office, to training and an end to discrimination on the job.


Consequently, the celebration assumed global dimension in 1974 when the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco.

She also mentioned other successes that Ghana had chalked in the area of women empowerment as lowering of fertility levels from 7.2 in 1993 to 4.4 in 2003 and increase of contraceptive usage from 10 per cent to 19 per cent during the same period.


Ms Anna Bossman, Acting Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, who chaired the function urged women to be better role models, mentors and guardians to their children. She also urged them to fully support each other as they strived for equality in a male dominated society.


The NCWD, as part of the celebration, organised a route march through some principal streets of Accra starting from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through the Kojo Thompson Road to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and then to the Ghana National Association of Teachers Hall, where they gathered for a seminar.


The marchers included the staff of NCWD and women groups, some who carried placards which read: "Men and Women Are Equal Before The Law"; If Women Can't Do It, It Can't Be Done"; Women's Rights Are Also Human Rights"; Stop Domestic Violence Now"; and "Include Queen Mothers in National House of Chiefs".


A message by the Secretary General of the UN, Busumuru Kofi Annan that was read at the seminar called for the rededication of society to empower women and to remove all fears that intimidated women.

International Women's Day celebrated in Kumasi

Kumasi, March 8, GNA- Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, has acknowledged the need for more women to be empowered to enable them make meaningful contributions to the political and socio-economic development of Ghana.


He noted that gone were the days when women were relegated to the background as housewives and asked them to be in the limelight and champion their own cause.


Mr Boafo said this in a speech read on his behalf during the Regional celebration of the International Women's Day in Kumasi on Tuesday.

The function, which was organised by the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs and attended by over 300 women was on the theme: "30 years of National Machinery for Women in Ghana; Counting the Gains". He said government appreciated the contributions of women in the development of the country hence the creation of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs.


Mr Boafo emphasised the role of quality education for the girl-child to help accelerate the pace of national development. Mrs Nana Amponsah Opoku-Asare of the Department of Art Education of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) urged the various women groups to form cooperative societies to enable them receive financial support to undertake income generating ventures to improve their livelihood.


Madam Alice Botchway, Regional Coordinator of the National Commission on Women Development, said women continued to play significant roles in the decision making process. Professor (Mrs) E.A. Addy of the School of Medical Sciences of KNUST, who chaired the function, said female education was crucial in reducing poverty.

Tamale

RADIO JUSTICE-TAMALE -- As parts of activities to mark this year?s International women?s Day, which falls on today, a number of programmes have been lined up.

Tamale: A route march is being undertaken to create awareness on the importance of the day, presentation of papers and drama for the inspiration of women among other things will also take place. The route march will commence from the Tamale main Library near the Police Park though the principal streets of Tamale and end at Picorna Hotel, where the main activities would take place.
The Northern Regional Minister is the Guest of Honour for the occasion. The International Women?s Day is set aside by the United Nations every year for women of all nations to take stock of their achievements and challenges, in order to adopt measures to address them. The theme for this year?s celebration in Ghana is, ?Women Inspiring Hope and Possibilities.?

Commonwealth Secretary-General salutes women

Accra, March 8, GNA - The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon on Tuesday said women's full involvement and leadership was central to democracy and human rights, economic growth, conflict resolution and eradicating poverty and combating disease. "If you don't allow half the world to play their part in solving the problems our planet is facing, you're only going to get half the solutions," Mr McKinnon said in a statement to mark this year's International Women's Day which falls on March 8.
The Day is commemorated annually to recognize that peace and social progress require the active participation and equality of women. It is also to acknowledge the contribution of women to international peace and security.
The United Nations theme for the day is: "Gender Equality Beyond 2005; Building a More Secured Future".
Mr McKinnon said: "Women have proven to be the driving force of growth and development. Educating women, for example, leads to better health for their entire family, a healthier population and workforce and increased economic growth."
He said over the past few years, some progress had been achieved in the 30 per cent female representation in parliament - a target set by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.
So far, 12 Commonwealth countries have achieved women representation of between 20 and 30 per cent, he said, and urged all governments to increase their efforts and provide a solid foundation for the advancement of gender equality in the century.
Mr McKinnon, however, expressed regret that too many women still lived on the edge, suffering violence in all its forms. "Worldwide, one in three women will suffer violence during her lifetime, she will be raped, beaten, trafficked or harassed." He said to address these problems the Commonwealth Secretariat had developed an integrated approach to eliminating violence against women to bring on board a wide range of social actors and which had been widely applied in member countries.
"Let us harness the strength, courage and abilities of women throughout the world. It is time women are fully recognized as equal partners in building our common future."