International Women’s Day: Gender equality is not a fight – Oye Lithur

Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur has stated that advocating for gender equality is not a fight and an agenda for women to lord it over men but to create the enabling opportunity for women to take up leadership and to have equal positions.

Delivering a talk at the 2020 International Women’s Day celebration at the Christ the King parish in Accra last Sunday, March 8, she maintained that women are the solution to corrupt activities in Ghana, hence the need to support the global fight for equality.

The programme guided by the theme; “I am generation Equality, realising women’s right”, was organized by the Southern Zone of the Young Christian Workers Movement(YCWM), a youth group in Ghana to commemorate 2020, International Women’s Day.

Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, a day the world recognises the achievements of women and call for the elimination of all discrimination, gender stereotypes, violence and greater equality for women. The United Nations first celebrated International Women’s Day during International Women’s Year in 1975. By 1977, the UN and its member states proclaimed March 8 as the official day for women’s rights.

Cautioning that corruption was a canker to the democracy of Ghana, she said women have the potential to curb it, saying that “Because of corruption people cannot afford their medication, we do not have good roads, we do not have adequate hospitals, we still have issues with education and this has nothing to do with party affiliation, we face a big problem in Ghana thus corruption, the answer is women”.

The former Minister added that “there is clear evidence that when women are at the table, are within the board of directors when women are in charge, corruption reduces, corruption is eradicated” making reference to research by the World Bank.

She applauded all women in support of the fight for equality and also commended men who are also encouraging women to climb higher and giving women the chance to prove their abilities.

Speaking on Cervical cancer as part of the programme, Dr. Elaine Ababio of the Ho Municipal Hospital, advised women to go for regular screening to avoid complication, cautioning them against the intake of oral pills without medical advice.

At a Mass preceding the talk, the Parochial Vicar of Christ the King Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel D. Appah in a homily urged women in the world to imitate the life of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I will want to present Mary as a model for our women to learn from her simplicity, humility and selflessness, he said”

Fr. Appah, who was the main celebrant of the Mass, urged the faithful to desist from setting unachievable goals, reminding them that “Lenten season is not about going to the extreme, it is not about setting goals that you cannot accomplish.”

George Kojo Banson, president of the YCW Southern Zone appreciated the role of women and called on men to continue to give their unflinching support to women.