MOWCA to support Kwabre women with loan

Mamponteng (Ash), Dec 14, GNA - The Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs is to support about 100 women in the Kwabre District with 100 million cedis as loans to enable them expand their businesses. Hajia Alima Mahama, the sector minister, said the money would serve as a revolving fund to support women's groups in the district. Addressing a durbar organised in her honour by the Kwabre District Assembly at Mamponteng on Tuesday, she said the major problem facing her ministry was how to secure loans for the numerous women groups throughout the country.

Hajia Alima expressed the hope that those who would benefit from the loan would repay to enable their colleagues to also enjoy the facility. She said the ministry's strategic implementation plan launched recently was aimed at focusing more on women and children. Hajia Alima said the implementation of the government's capitation grant had improved enrolments in many schools and advised parents and guardians to make good use of the opportunity to send their children to school.

Alhaji Akwasi Yeboah, Kwabre District Chief Executive, said the creation of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs showed the government's commitment to improving the status of women and children. He said gone were the days when women were relegated to the background as housewives and therefore urged them to break all societal myths surrounding the status of women. Nana Daadom Pokuaa, Queenmother of Antoa, said increasing teenage pregnancy cases in the district were hampering the effective development of girl-child education. She appealed to the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs to support Queen mothers in their desire to re-introduce puberty rites as a means of curbing teenage pregnancies.