International Women's Day celebrated in Sunyani

Sunyani (B/A), March 9, GNA - Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) in collaboration with Action Aid Ghana, both non-governmental organizations, on Tuesday organised a day's training seminar to commemorate the International Women's Day in Sunyani. The event, which was under the theme: 93Equal access to education, training and science and technology: pathway to decent work for women", was attended by about 60 participants drawn from various organizations and institutions in the Sunyani Municipality. Mr. Peter Subaab, Executive Director of CSD, said the choice of the theme for the event was to emphasize that the bedrock for accessing decent work was education and training.

He said: 93A good quality education designed on the basis of women and girls' immediate and strategic needs builds their capacity and prepares them to seize opportunities in public, private, informal and formal sectors of the economy".

Mr. Subaab stressed that investing in decent work for women through education, training and science and technology has helped in the development of the national economy.

Ms Abigail Mbah, seminar facilitator, speaking on the topic: "Training, science and technology: a pathway to a secured job", noted that women over the years had been segregated so far as education was concern, particularly in science and technology. She noted that some courses were perceived as fields for men and women who tried to make a difference were regarded as not being submissive.

Ms Mbah stressed that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was core to accelerated growth, and for the country to develop at a desirable pace, women and girls needed to be trained in science and technology.

"Women form majority of the country's population and their knowledge in science and technology would go a long way to help in the development of the nation", she explained.

Mrs. Theresa Adjei-Mensah Boakye, another facilitator, noted that though the government had drawn numerous policies, women and children had long been under-represented in science and technology education and employment due to lack of adequate learning resources and facilities.

Speaking on the topic: 93Lack of infrastructure and ICT resources in basic schools, a double disadvantage for girls", Mrs Boakye, stated that ICT was an examinable subject at the basic school level and schools should be well-resourced with quality infrastructure and requisite teaching and learning materials. She said that the method for teaching science and technology should focus on promoting girls' interest in science 93and this will help reduce the leakage of girls from science and technology education."

Mrs Boakye urged parents to encourage the girls to study science and mathematics. The facilitator appealed to individuals, traditional authorities and NGOs to help schools to acquire computers. 9 March 11