Lack of education hindering the progress of women

New Edubiase (Ash), April 13, GNA - Miss Alice Botchway, Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Women has cited the lack of education among majority of women worldwide as the main cause of poverty among them. Madam Botchway was speaking on the topic: "The Importance of Investing in the Education and Health of Girls and Women," at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs as part of the Ashanti regional celebration of International Day of Women, held at New Edubiase in the Adansi South District at the weekend. The celebration was on the theme: "Investing in Women and Girls".

The United Nations (UN) estimates that at least 60 million girls lack access to primary education, and that more than two-thirds of the world's 960 million illiterates were women. Miss Botchway pointed out that this was unfortunate in spite of the efforts being made by various governments to better the lives of women and girls in particular. She underscored the importance of parents to offer the same opportunity for both boys and girls in terms of equal access to education, adequate skills and training, as well as access to economic self-sufficiency so that the poverty circle amongst women could be broken.

Miss Botchway implored women to put in much investment in their health issues as well as that of their children, stressing that they should take advantage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to help them access quality health care at all levels. She also stressed the need to nip in the bud negative socio-cultural practices and beliefs that hampered the accelerated development of women, including widowhood rites, female genital mutilation and the unlawful camping of women who are perceived to be witches.

During an open forum, the participants decried the high rate of teenage pregnancy among girls in the Adansi South area, the patronage of unhealthy programmes at video centres and the engagement of the girl-child in labour which affected their education. Some of the contributors suggested that parents, school authorities and religious bodies should work together to inculcate into children, especially the girl-child, God-fearing attitudes to enable them grow to become good citizens.