UEW introduces scholarship for brilliant but needy female science students

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has introduced a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy female science students as a way of encouraging women to pursue science and mathematics based disciplines.

Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice-Chancellor of the University, made this known in a speech read for him at the National University Forum on Gender Equality in Winneba.

He said science and mathematics were fields of study where women were woefully absent and required such intervention.

The forum was oragnised by the UEW in collaboration with the United Nations under the theme: “Innovations and Challenges in Pursuing the Gender Equality Agenda in High Education”.

Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw said the university, through its mentoring programme, mentored early career women to groom them for future senior leadership positions.

He said gender equality issues should be of concern to everybody and should contribute in whatever way possible to achieve that global agenda.

“There is every indication that none of the MDGs will be achieved in totality unless there is greater equality between women and men and increased empowerment of women and girls”.

According to him, it is time to back political promises with the investments and resources needed, adding that if girls’ education continued to the secondary level and beyond, they would be better equipped to make informed choices about lives.

Mrs Wilhelmina Tete-Mensah, Director, Gender Mainstreaming of the UEW, said gender mainstreaming was a core value in the university.

According to her, it had added value to the work of the university and enhanced its image.

In a report read for Mrs Afua Ansre, Country Coordinator of UN Women Ghana, she said “achieving the MDGs depended so much on women’s empowerment and equal access by women to education, work, health care and decision-making”.

The Deputy Registrar, Mr. Rexford Abedi-Boafo, said over the past eight years, the UEW with donor support had initiated and implemented various programmes for gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment.

He said a Gender Plan of Action was developed in 2006 to guide the university to mainstream a gender perspective into all of its operations.