FOSDA holds workshop on National Gender Policy

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has trained stakeholders on the National Gender Policy (NGP) in Accra.

The training brought together 15 assembly women from 13 districts in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, and five executive officers of the Savannah Women’s Empowerment Group Ghana.

The training sought to promote the NGP and ensure that it went down to the local level; as part of efforts to empower more women in the decision-making process.

The NGP, which was launched in December 2015, seeks to address gender inequality and women empowerment.

It also mainstreams gender concerns into national development processes to improve the social, legal, civic, political, economic and socio-cultural conditions of women and men.

Ms Afi Yakubu, the Executive Director, FOSDA, said the idea of the workshop was to empower focal persons to know areas that they would push forward for the promotion of gender issues and the implementation of the NGP in their districts.

She urged the participants to ensure that violence is not perpetrated anywhere in their constituencies before, during and after the elections on November 7.

Dr Comfort Asare, the Director, Department of Gender of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in her presentation on the NGP, said the policy was in line with international mandates and protocols, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW (1979) and Optional Protocol to the Convention (1999).

Dr Asare said the Affirmative Action Bill would by the end of the year, be passed by Parliament into law to empower women.

Madam Amina Montia, Director of FOSDA, and Coordinator of Savannah Women’s Empowerment Group Ghana, said there is the need for the NGP to be implemented at all levels of society for the good of the nation.

Ms Angela Ayamdoo, Assembly Woman of the Gobisi-Anafobisi Electoral Area in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, and a participant at the workshop in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said, outmoded cultural practices such as widowhood rites should be abolished.

She also called for the promotion of the girl child education, to ensure gender parity for both the girl-child and the boy-child.

FOSDA is a civil society organisation with the mission to promote peace and human security by working to realise the lasting potential of communities and individuals through the systematic and effective sharing of information, knowledge and skills.