National Women’s Machinery is 40 years

The Council on Women and Development (NCWD), the first national women’s machinery in Ghana, to ensure the full integration of women in national development is 40 years.

The NCWD was established by NRCD 322, 1775 by the then Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong as a follow up to a UN Resolution calling on member states to establish an appropriate government machinery to accelerate the integration of women in development and the elimination of discrimination against women.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) would organise an official launch on April, 27, and chain of activities to mark the year-long anniversary.

Speaking at a news conference to commemorate the day, Nana Oye Lithur, the Sector Minister, paid tribute to the fore runners whose efforts had led to establishing of the Ministry to oversee women empowerment policies.

She said people like the late Mrs Justice Annie Jiagge, an Appeal Court Judge, Professor Florence Dolphine, Mrs Selina Taylor of blessed memory, Dr Mrs Mary Grant, Mrs Molly Anim-Addo and Mrs Charlotte Abakah, as well as all the former executive secretaries and directors were very instrumental in the day-to-day administration of the national machinery for women and development.

She also commended her predecessors for their focus and vision and for laying a strong foundation for gender equality in Ghana.

Nana Lithur said the NCWD worked to improve women’s access to economic resources and participation in productive processes by facilitating credit facilities through the Women’s World Banking, National Business for Small scale industries, Programmes of Action to Mitigate Social Cost of Adjustment and CEDECOM.

She said Ghana’s national machinery has achieved a lot for women and children in particular over the past 40 years in areas of policy formulation and co-ordination.

She said gender equality, legal and policy framework have been enhanced, while weaknesses in implementation of various laws have been strengthened.

The Minister noted that as the official national body, the NCWD was responsible for co-operation, co-ordination and liaising with national and international organisations on matters relating to the status of women.

“Historically, due to the patriarchal nature of our society and cultural beliefs and practices that worked against the development of the Ghanaian woman, Ghana’s national women’s machinery braced the odds and created the environment for the Ghanaian woman to rise to a dignified status.

“As a result, the NCWD over the years made various recommendations to government on law reform and advocated the promulgation of relevant legislation on matters in relation to the status of women in Ghana and subsequently recorded major achievements in law reform,” she added.

Those achievements, the Minister said, include laws on to Intestate Succession, laws to criminalise harmful cultural and traditional practices such as Female Genital Mutilation, harmful widowhood rites and ritual servitude.

Nana Oye Lithur said Ghana’s women machinery took special measures after the Beijing Conference of 1995 to develop and implement Ghana’s 15-year Plan of Action on the Beijing Platform and also worked on development of a gender Policy and gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework.

The NCWD was also set up, among other things to advice government on all matters relating to the full integration of women in national development at all levels.

It is also to study the effects of customary beliefs, prejudices and practices on advancement of women in the educational, political and economic field and to report to government from time to time.

In 2001 the status of Ghana’s National Machinery for the Advancement of Women was elevated from that of “Council on Women and Development” to that of a fully-fledged Ministry headed by a Minister with Cabinet status.

Following its restructuring and designation as MoGCSP by Executive Instrument 1 of 2013, its mandate has also been expanded to ensure gender equality, promote the welfare and protection of children and empower the vulnerable, excluded, the aged and persons with disabilities for sustainable national development.