Link women issues with development - CEO

Mr Freeman K. Madji, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Abibiman Sankofa Cultural Movement (ASCUM), has stressed the need for policy makers to link issues concerning women with development.

He urged women advocacy groups to intensify public education on the fight against poverty saying that this would afford Ghanaians the opportunity to appreciate and understand key issues, like the state of woman in the fight against poverty.

Mr Madji was interacting with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) shortly after the end of a mid-year review of the status of women in the country, organised by ASCUM at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region.

The Agormeda-based Movement, with over 600 members mostly women across the country, has among its core programmes, Aid for Child Development Project and Women Empowerment.”

Mr Madji said it was about time that the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs focused on its core mandate of formulating and influencing national policies in the interest of women and children.

According to him, the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) had not considered the development of women, who formed the majority of the poor, hence making poverty alleviation difficult to achieve.

The CEO called on the sector ministry to put in place interventions to encourage women to go into high income-earning activities, including cash crop farming, animal husbandry, agro-processing and horticulture production for export.