Concentrating on the devt of Women & Children can stimulate national dev't."

( A GNA Feature by Naeem Ahmed Abdul Ghafaar)

Accra, July 11, GNA - Child labour, child trafficking, street children, Child abuse, commercial sexual exploitation of children and violence against children and Women can be handled effectively to yield economic development if Government and State institutions concentrate efforts on Women and children's affairs.

Strategically the role of women in the 21st century cannot be over emphasized in economic development. Experts in social psychology indicate that most children cultivate the spirit of creativity from their mothers in their socialization process. This shows how disadvantageous it is to have a high percentage of the country's population being women with limited skills.

To support women, the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) should play a key role to enable government to achieve its development agenda for women. Records have shown that any time government increases budget allocation to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), there is always a corresponding increase in the positive feedbacks in the performance of women and children. According to the sector Medium Term Development Plan (2010-2013) of MOWAC, in spite of increases in budgetary allocation to child related- activities, many planned programmes of child focus do not get implemented. The Plan states that it is in the public interest that budgetary allocation to these child-related MDAs be increased. In this regard, the United Nation Committee on the Rights of Children (UNCRC) made in its concluding observations on Ghana's report on the implementation of child rights that, allocations for child related activities seem to be insufficient to respond to national and local priorities for the protection and promotion of children's rights.

The references above are meant to emphasise the point that with an increase in government's resource allocation to the Ministry, significant progress can be achieved on women and children's development policies.

This assertion does not conclude that government is negligent in relation to its plan for Women and children, but rather calls for concentration on the policies that it has intended to pursue for the advancement of the course of women and children. As conveyed by the Sector Medium Term development Plan of MOWAC, the Government of Ghana through the Ministry, is implementing a four-year Gender Responsive Skills and Community Development Project (GRSCDP). This is part of government's commitment to achieving the millennium development goals that call for the promotion of Gender Quality and women empowerment in pursuing a comprehensive policy for gender mainstreaming in Ghana.

In implementing the project, government will reside as the Project executing Agency and MOWAC will be the implementing agency. And the aim of the project is to promote equitable socio economic development through institutional capacity building, and improvement of women in gainful employment and entrepreneurship. The startling nature of this project is therefore a wakeup call for the society, women and children, including the MDAs and the media to ensure that such a good project that seeks to raise the living standards of women and children in Ghana becomes successful. Government this time round should make sure that proper budgetary allocations are made to MOWAC as the implementing agency to effectively carry out this project.

The socio-economic and educational well-being of mothers affect the future of their children. Policy makers should concentrate on upgrading the economic status of mothers to ensure a brighter future for Ghana. All the social problems stated above come as a result of the inability of mothers to cater adequately for the needs of the children.

Nature has made it in such a way that men can run away from their responsibilities to children whiles women occasionally lose their lives either in childbirth or in trying to bring up their children single- handedly. It is common sight to often see mothers carrying the children on their backs while toiling to provide their daily bread. Children are the future of our economy. Children and Women by far can be used as serious economic indicators and, generally, the future of a nation. The quality of life of women and children can serve as a direct reflection of the performance of the economy of a nation. The incidence of uncontrolled child bearing in the country is on the increase, and it is high time MOWAC intensified its education on family planning issues. The Ministry should also provide security for street mothers who are being exploited sexually and in other various ways.

This writer agrees with Dr. Aggrey when he said that when you educate a man you educate an individual but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation. What does this statement mean to any serious Government that is genuinely concerned about progress and development? It implies that the influence that women can have in stimulating development is greater than that of men. The reason is that women and children play an active role in policy implementation and have the tendency to influence others to participate in the implementation of Government policy.