Women must strive to be positive deviant in nation building - UEW

Professor Andy Ofori-Birikorang, Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Education Winneba (UEW), has underscored the need for women to strive to become positive deviant in the transformation of the society.

He emphasizes the need for women to take up 'Gender Evangelism' seriously to help men to gain higher sense of gender awareness, to recognize gender biases in the system and to support them.

Prof Ofori-Birikorang was speaking on the topic “ Women in leadership: achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World”, at a seminar organized by the Gender Mainstreaming Unit of the UEW in collaboration with Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) and the Students Representative Council of the University at Winneba.

The event was to round off the International Women's Day activities of the Gender Unit set up by the University to promote gender equality at various levels of the Institution.

The Pro. V.C said it was about time women took deviant approaches, subvert domestic gender roles and act ‘masculine’ to liberate themselves and gather confidence to let their voices be heard, else they may continue to remain stagnant.

“You must develop the ability to think critically about issues of power in relation to privilege in different spheres of influence, become aware of your conditions and through total reflection and action, accumulate power for social change in order to ensure a more inclusive and equitable society,” he stressed.

Society, he indicated should empower women to have equal access to power, control resources, be part of the decision making process and have a fair share of development benefits, to contribute towards national development.

Professor Ruby Hanson, Dean, Faculty of Science Education, UEW, who also schooled the participants on the topic “Women in leadership: Biases and Stereotypes”, called for a change in attitude, behaviours as well as perceptions about gender.

Prof Emmanuel Obed Acquah, UEW Director of Quality Assurance, in a speech he delivered on behalf of Reverend Father Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni, Vice Chancellor of UEW, commended the organizers of the forum for celebrating women in Effutu Municipality.

He asked women not to limit themselves when presented with opportunities, but leap for them to make a change wherever they found themselves.

Ms. Dinah Adiko, a Gender Expert, speaking on the topic “Calling out Sexual Harassments in the lecture rooms and halls of residence; I Choose to Challenge”, urged girls not to hesitate to report perpetrators of sexual harassment to the security agencies or authorities of their institutions and localities for them to be dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.