The colossal contribution of the Ghanaian woman since independence cannot be overemphasized.
We acknowledge the daring women in politics fighting corruption in their offices, the purpose-driven corporate Ghanaian women strategizing for sustainable business development, the hardworking female doctors and midwives helping in the safe delivery of our future leaders, the female artists who are helping to revive our entertainment industry, mothers striving to raise responsible and peaceful citizens, women farmers tilling the land to feed the nation, women mining our gold, diamond and silver, women in science and technology striving to develop a vaccine to cure Corona virus, etc. Despite all these, Ghanaian women are still marginalized.
As we celebrate International Women’s day, the NDC Rising ladies advocate for gender equality and women empowerment. The Sustainable Development Goal 5 tasks countries to strive towards achieving equality. We applaud successive governments for steps taken in this regard such as high profile appointment of women into government.
However, there is still more to be done. We call on the government to increase budget allocation to women’s health and reproductive issues. We also place a clarion call to the labour commission to fish out and penalize companies that still promote gender pay disparity in today’s Ghana.
The disparity in paygrades leads to disparity in economic empowerment.
We encourage women to voice out at attempted and perpetrated sexual assault and abuse in search of jobs and workplaces. Women should report abusive spouses to the appropriate authorities.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that women are no longer marginalized in any regard. We, therefore, pray women elected and or appointed in high offices to use their offices to advocate for passage of the Affirmative Action bill which seeks greater women representation in governance.
The debates of whether or not women representation in politics will deepen democracy we believe will be put to rest when the few elected women are impactful. In as much as the Rising ladies advocate for increase representation of women in politics, we are more concerned about the impact women create in nation-building. We want them to be more visible to inspire young girls to follow suit.
The ministry of education should promote the study of male-dominated courses by the girl child. The girl child education can only be sufficient to achieve equality when there are equal opportunities for both sexes in the business world. Equality that seeks not to disadvantage men but to compete with them on merit.
We advocate for policies that will help create enabling environment for both men and women to compete equally. It is high time women partook in the political decision-making process rather than being relegated to mobilization, welfare, fundraising, feeding, fabric and entertainment issues.
The NDC Rising ladies, a voice for all Ghanaian women, encourages us to continue being strong, selfless, dedicated and united contributors to our economy.
The Ghanaian woman should SPEAK OUT!!!
Happy International Women’s day!
By: Jennifer Akpene Dotsey
