Accra (Greater Accra) 8 March ?99
Accra (Greater Accra) 8 March ?99 Ghana marked the International Women's Day, declared some 89 years ago in Finland, with an appeal to the government to ensure good health of women for them to lead a productive and fulfilling life. Ms Boatemaa Boateng of the National Commission on Women and Development (NCWD), stressed the need for women to control all aspects of their health. At the ceremony in Accra, Ms Boateng asked women to secure higher standards in order to enjoy their rights fully. The theme for this year's celebration is ''Women's health for the 21st century''. Women account for 64 per cent of the illiterate population and this is the reason behind the ignorance of women about dangers to their health. "Another factor is the unequal power relations in the home, within the community, at the work place and irresponsible parenting, which force girls and women to engage in unwanted sexual relations. ''In effect, this exposes them to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, gonorrhoea, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions". Ms Margaret Novicki, Director, United Nations Information Centre, said the day has been adopted by the United Nations for all women, often divided by national boundaries and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, to come together to celebrate as theirs. Women could look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development, she said. It is also a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights. "Today, the central organising principle of the work of the UN is that no enduring solution to society's most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation and the full empowerment, of the world's women." Ms Novicki read another speech on behalf of Mr Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General. Mr Annan said, in the past, women were excluded from decision making, but now "we have entered a century where the participation of women at senior levels of leadership, national and international, is no longer questioned. "The world community has identified violence against women in its various forms as a clear violation of human rights and strong actions have been put in place at the international, regional and national levels to confront what should always have been considered unconscionable." Mr Annan said ''much remains to be done as we stand on the threshold of the new millennium we are confronted by challenges both new and old''. Poverty among women appears to be deepening as women are over represented among the unemployed and under employed and if employed they are more likely than men to be found in poorly paid, part-time employment or temporary and unsecured jobs. "On this last international women's day before the new millennium, let us rededicate ourselves to eliminating the discrimination and disadvantages to which women are still subjected. ''Whether in the world of work, in access to health care services, in the provision of social services and social safety nets, in peace-building and reconstruction, or, perhaps most importantly in the home. ''Let us enter the new millennium with the prospects of gender equality in sight for women everywhere", he added.
