Encourage women participation in decision-making-NDC Women's Wing

Accra, March 9, GNA - The Women's Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday noted that women all over the world have a low level of participation in decision-making bodies and have restricted economic power.

As a result they are predisposed to economic dependence. This was contained in a statement issued by the NDC Women's Wing, and signed by Frances Asiam, National Women's Organizer.

The statement expressed regrets that women, the majority of who were illiterates, were often ignorant of their most basic rights. It stated that socio-cultural, traditional and religious practices often placed them situations of dependence and submission in relation to men.

This situation stemmed from a real discrimination on the grounds of gender in which a constant factor is a wide range of violent acts perpetrated against women.

"We should, however, recall that at the 1993 United Nations Conference on Human Right in Vienna, women's rights were recognized as basic human rights and that energies have been constantly mobilized in defence of these rights. The struggle for total eradication of the violence of which women all over the world continue to be daily victims is at the fore-front of the concerns regularly expressed," the statement said.

The statement expressed regret that millions of people across the world suffered physical, psychological, moral and material harm, and women were often seen to be victims of such acts of violence of all kinds.

It gave the assurance that significant advances have been made all over the world through an unprecedented social mobilization of non-governmental organizations, and other organizations of civil society in collaboration with the government, and international instruments for the promotion of women.

"We must agree that, if we are to protect those women of tomorrow, which the girls of today will become, we have to end these practices. This will be achieved by a global alliance, excluding no sector of society," the statement said.