Cape Coast Sept.14 GNA- The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Saturday said that the government has introduced measures aimed at ensuring that women are fully integrated in the development efforts of the nation.
He stressed that the empowerment of women academically and economically would, no doubt, facilitate the total emancipation of the African woman.
These were contained in an address read for him at the sixth annual national conference and 10th anniversary celebration of the Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Ghana (FOMWAG) at Cape Coast.
The theme for the four-day celebration, is, "empowering Muslim women for sustainable economic growth and development".
The Vice-President, observed that available information indicates that in sub-Saharan Africa, women constitute a higher percentage of producers of the bulk of food in the markets, as well as contribute immensely to economic activities, especially in the informal sector.
Alhaji Mahama said they are also often over-burdened with essential activities like raising families and home keepin and that in some Muslim communities in Ghana, women are even the bread winners.
"Despite all these, women appear to be the less fortunate ones in our part of the globe, where illiteracy, poverty and low representation on issues that affect them are discussed", he regretted.
The Vice-President said it was additionally a painful fact that women in Africa have over the years, also been victims of war and certain negative socio-cultural practices.
He, in this regard, described the theme for the occasion as "very important", since it was geared at reversing such situations, and urged the federation to be actively involved in advocating for the eradication of all forms of discrimination against women.
"It is also important that as Muslim women, you encourage your families to practise strictly the principles underlying Islamic marriages and values so as to minimise the spread of the deadly HIV/AIDS in the communities", he declared.
Dr.Rabi-atu Ama Kone, senior lecturer at the Department of religions of the University of Ghana, attributed the poverty among Muslims to their inability to send and maintain their children in school to enable them to become responsible citizens.
She therefore, urged the Federation to do everything in its power to create wealth in order to improve upon their living standards, stressing that the Islamic religion, "is not only about rituals", but also about socio-economic upliftment.
Dr. Kone, therefore, urged Muslim women to endeavour to enhance their skills to promote their businesses, and to refrain from wasting too much time and money on marriage and out-dooring ceremonies. According to her such monies could instead, be invested in their children's education to enable them become useful citizens.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Muniru Arafat Nuhu, called on Muslims to ensure unity among them and their Christian colleagues to promote peace in their localities.
The national 'Amirah' (president) of the Federation, Hajia Katumi Mahama called on the local associations of the federation, to draw up programmes to help intensify awareness about the importance of environmental cleanliness.
The President of the 'Coalition of Muslim Organisations of Ghana (COMOG), Major Mohammed Easa, (rpt), in a solidarity message expressed concern about the way some Muslim girls dress indecently and pointed out that such behaviour was at complete variance with Islamic teachings.
The Central Regional president of the Federation, Mrs Maimuna Habib-Ahmed, in her welcoming address, said the formation of the federation had created the desired unity among Muslim women in the country, irrespective of their political affiliations.
She therefore, called on their male counterpart to emulate the association.
